Gary Loves Cindy
by autumnrose2010
Summary: The romance between Cindy Brady and her boss, Gary Greenberg. Based on the spin-off series 'The Bradys' which consisted of six episodes which aired in early 1990. My story focuses mostly on Cindy although other family members are mentioned occasionally.
1. Here's The Story

**June 1992**

Gary watched as the first baby was delivered. Cindy had received spinal anesthesia, so she was awake, but a drape separated her upper body from her lower abdomen so that she wouldn't see the actual surgical procedure. Gary had winced as the scalpel had opened Cindy's flesh, although he knew that she didn't actually feel any pain. After that, his awe at the miracle of birth took his mind off of everything else.

"Here's your girl!" Dr. Young, the obstetrician, exclaimed. He quickly handed the baby to the nurse, who cleaned her off and weighed and measured her. "Six pounds, five ounces!" she announced.

Dr. Young delivered the other twin. "And here's your boy!"

"Are they both all right?" Cindy asked anxiously.

"They're beautiful, honey," Gary told her.

"Seven pounds even!" The nurse had just weighed their son and was wrapping him in a blanket.

"Thank God." Cindy was incredibly relieved.

"Do you still want to go with Rebecca Grace and Jonathan Seth?" Gary asked her. The babies had been placed near her head, and she kissed first her daughter and then her son on the cheek.

"Yes, those are perfect names," she replied.

* * *

**October 1989**

Gary and Cindy had finished their hot dogs and had a few minutes remaining before it was time to report back to the radio station.

"Jackie was on her way to visit a friend when another driver swerved into her lane and hit her head-on. The guy wasn't wearing a seat belt and was thrown through the windshield and killed instantly. Jackie was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. As soon as I got the call, I left Carly and Jake with the neighbor and hurried to the hospital. She was still conscious, but her vital signs were fading quickly. I was with her, holding her hand, when she passed away."

"Oh, Gary, I can't even begin to imagine how painful that must have been for you."

"It was the worst experience I have ever been through in my entire life. But what hurt the worst was that her death was so senseless and could have been so easily prevented. I'll never forget the phone call I received from one of the police officers investigating the crash some time later. He told me that the toxicology reports were in and that the other driver's blood alcohol level had been twice the limit for legal intoxication."

"How terrible! I don't know how anyone could live with that."

"It's more difficult than you could even imagine. I just have to get through each day one day at a time. I also donate large amounts of radio time to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and similar organizations. I believe that if I can save just one family the heartbreak we've been through, are still going through, it will be worth it. More than worth it."


	2. It Isn't A Japanese Motorcycle

"What religion is your family, Cindy?" Gary wanted to know.

"Officially, we're Episcopalian, but none of us have been to church in years, except for weddings and funerals."

"How much do you know about Judaism?"

"I know that you have Hanukkah instead of Christmas and Passover instead of Easter."

Gary chuckled. "There's a little bit more to it than that. For instance, do you know what a yarmulke is?"

Cindy frowned. "Isn't that a Japanese motorcycle?"

Shaking with silent laughter, Gary shook his head and removed an object from his pocket. _"This _is a yarmulke."

"It looks just like a beanie to me."

"It's worn by Jewish males to symbolize our submission to God."

"So, when do you wear it?"

"When I'm attending synagogue or performing religious rituals or ceremonies."

"Does Jake wear one too?"

"Yes, he does."

"What about Carly?"

"No, of course not!"

"Well, shouldn't there be something for girls to wear too?"

This time Gary didn't suppress his laughter. "You do have a lot to learn, Cindy."

"Is it common practice to carry a yarmulke around in your pocket?"

"No. I brought mine to day just to show it to you."

Cindy handed the yarmulke back to Gary, who returned it to his pocket.

"I promise I'll never pressure you to convert, Cindy. Believe me, my people have experienced enough of that kind of thing over the centuries, and still do. But I would like for you to learn about my religion and cultural background."

"I'm all ears! So, when do we start?"

* * *

"Let's see, we have...Wilson Phillips, Milli Vanilli, Fine Young Cannibals, New Kids On The Block, and Soul II Soul. So, what's the occasion?" Gary was looking through the stack of CD's Cindy had brought to work with her.

"I thought that perhaps Carly would like to borrow them." Cindy smiled tentatively.

"Oh, Cindy, you try so hard." Gary smiled and patted her shoulder. "The kids will come around. Just give them time. They just have to get used to things being different now."

Cindy had met Carly and Jake for the first time when they had come by the radio station the previous day, and the meeting had ended with both kids rushing out of the station very upset.

"You mean they have to get used to the idea of sharing you with me?"

"Well, yes. Ever since Jackie died they've had me all to themselves. They have to realize that the love I have for you doesn't diminish the love I have for them at all."

Cindy was thoughtful. "I was so young when my biological father died that I hardly remember him at all. That must have been why it was so relatively easy for me to accept Mike Brady as my father. Marcia and Jan were older so they remembered our biological dad better. I guess they didn't really show it, but it must have been harder for them because of that. Jake and Carly are even older now than Marcia and Jan were when our mom married Mike. I can understand it being even harder for them. I know that I could never take the place of their mother, and I would never try to. But I do hope that they can someday think of me as a friend."

"Thanks for being so understanding, Cindy. And I really do think that the situation with the kids is going to be just fine. Just give it some time. 'K?"

The next day Cindy asked Gary if he had shown the CD's to Carly.

"As a matter of fact, I did. She told me to tell you that she enjoyed listening to them and wanted me to ask if you have any Samantha Fox."

Cindy grinned. "Hey! Progress!"

"Mazel tov, Cindy." Gary grinned back and winked at her.


	3. What Unsupervised Parents Will Do

**January 1990**

"I keep reminding myself of all the reasons I shouldn't get more seriously involved with you," Gary told Cindy, "but in the end my heart always wins out over my head."

Gary and Cindy were having dinner at Gary's favorite Italian restaurant. The dim lights and soft music added to the romantic atmosphere, and Gary and Cindy were holding hands under the table.

"Well, then, there must be some reason your heart keeps winning out," Cindy laughed. "Maybe we should talk about your 'reasons' one by one and discuss how important they really are."

"First and foremost, of course, is our working relationship. As your boss I feel responsible, especially since I was the one who initiated the whole thing. I can't deny that I do have feelings for you, but I can't help asking myself if it was a mistake to act on those feelings. The bottom line is that I don't want you to be hurt, in your professional life or your personal life. God forbid, but if we continued our relationship and things didn't work out in the long term, would we still be able to work together closely without our feelings getting in the way?"

"I don't want you to be hurt either, Gary. And I'm responsible too because I didn't have to let things get as far as they have. But since they have, how will we be able to work closely together knowing how we feel about each other but afraid to let things progress any further because of the risk that things might not work out later on? To me that would seem terribly awkward."

"I never looked at it quite that way before, but I think you're right, Cindy. That makes a lot of sense to me."

"Okay, let's hear reason number two."

"Our significant age difference. I was graduating high school while you were still learning your ABC's."

"So?"

"Well, doesn't being with me make you feel like you're out with your dad or something?"

"Gary, I don't think I'd ever be able to see you as a father figure even if I wanted to. I see you way too much as a sex object for that."

Gary realized that she was teasing him and burst out laughing. He blushed a little, and Cindy noticed that and was pleased.

"Thanks, Cindy, you just made my day. Seriously, though, there's still the issue of our religious and cultural differences. For instance, which holidays would we celebrate?"

"Why not celebrate all of them? You teach me all about Hanukkah, and I'll teach you my favorite Christmas carols."

Gary chuckled. "That sounds like an awful lot of celebrating."

"So what would be wrong with that?"

"Well, nothing, I guess." Gary grinned sheepishly.

"Gary, your reasons sound more like excuses to me. I know that we shouldn't rush into anything, but if there's something there, and we both know that there is, shouldn't we give it a chance to grow? Otherwise we'll both just have to live the rest of our lives wondering what might have been, and to me that sounds terribly sad."

"I like the way your mind works, Cindy. In fact, I like it an awful lot."

"Do you feel like I just gave you permission to do what you've been wanting to do all along?"

"You know, that's exactly how I feel right now." Gary laughed and gave her a big hug. Then he paid the bill and they walked back to his car.

"Dinner was delicious, Gary. Thank you for taking me out."

"Hey, it was my pleasure. Thank you for going out with me. So, do I just take you home now?"

"As opposed to what?"

"Well, we could go back to my place if you'd like."

"What about Jake and Carly?"

"What about them?"

"Won't they be back home soon?"

"Carly's at a slumber party and Jake's camping with the Boy Scouts."

"You mean..."

"That's right. We'd be completely unsupervised. We could be as naughty as we wanted." He winked at her, and she laughed.

"All right."

At Gary's house they sat on the sofa drinking wine coolers and listening to Kenny G. Gary put his arm around Cindy, and they began kissing.

"Would you like to adjourn to the bedroom? I think we'd be more comfortable in there."

Cindy looked at him in surprise. "What kind of a girl do you take me for, Gary?"

"The kind of girl I want to spend as much time as possible with from now on."

Cindy laughed. "All right."

* * *

The following morning found both of them sound asleep in Gary's bed, tangled amongst the sheets and each other's arms and legs. Gary awoke first, and Cindy a few minutes later.

"Well, good morning, beautiful. Did you sleep well?" He playfully brushed her hair back from her face with his hand.

"I hardly slept at all."

"Me neither. But when I did I dreamed an angel was in bed beside me, and then I woke up and found that my dream had come true."

They both laughed heartily.

"Well, are you hungry? Would you like some breakfast?" he asked her.

"That sounds yummy. What do you have?"

"Anything you want, bacon, eggs, toast..."

_"Bacon? _How kosher is that?"

Gary laughed. "Well, how kosher are hot dogs?"

Cindy giggled. "You naughty boy. You're going to hell, you know."

"No such place."

"Well, then, what happens to you guys if you're bad?"

"The rabbi leaves a lump of coal in our stocking for Hanukkah."

Gary untangled his naked body from the sheets and got out of bed. He saw Cindy looking at him while trying to look as if she weren't and thought it was endearing. He cradled her face in his hands and kissed her lips.

"Really, Cyn, are you okay?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine, Gary."

"You know what I mean."

"You mean do I regret it or have second thoughts about it? No I don't, not at all."

"I'm so glad." He kissed her again and turned to go to the kitchen.

"Gary?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, of course. Why shouldn't I be?"

"Well, if I'm okay and you're okay, then that means everything's okay, right?"

He laughed and hugged her tightly. "Everything's fine, Cindy. Just fine."


	4. Sweet Sixteen

**April 1990**

"My God, I'm just so nervous," Cindy said.

"Relax, I'm sure everything will be just fine." Gary patted her hand reassuringly.

The two of them were at Carly's sweet sixteen birthday party which, at the insistence of Gary's parents, was being held at their country club.

"My dad wanted to give her a '91 Toyota Corolla for her sixteenth birthday," Gary had confided to Cindy. "He tries to spoil her like he's always spoiled Melissa. I told him that if she had to actually earn it, she would appreciate it a whole lot more. We agreed that he could buy her a new car if she graduated high school with at least a 'B' average. That'll give her some incentive to keep her grades up."

Carly was beautiful, radiant in a pink and white dress and white heels. Cindy had taken her for a manicure and pedicure the day before, and that morning she had brushed Carly's hair until it shone and helped her with her make-up.

"Wow! You look just like a model," Gary had said when they were finished. "I really appreciate your help, Cindy."

"I thoroughly enjoyed it," Cindy replied. "Marcia and Jan used to help me a lot with my make-up when I was her age."

Jake looked uncomfortable in a suit and tie. Cindy felt sorry for him. She knew how much he hated to wear ties.

A Lincoln Town Car pulled up outside the country club, and Gary's parents, Norman and Sylvia Greenberg, got out. They entered the country club, and Gary introduced them.

"You don't look Jewish at all to me," Sylvia blurted to Cindy.

"Hey Mom, I want you to try this new kind of lox I found. It was imported directly from Israel," Gary said quickly. He and his mother headed for the hors d'oeuvre table.

"Well, it certainly is...a lovely day for a party," Cindy stammered.

"That it is," Norman agreed.

Gary's brother Jason and his sister Melissa arrived with their respective spouses. Melissa did indeed look like the kind of person who would consider breaking a fingernail to be a major emergency, Cindy thought.

Soon all Carly's friends had arrived, and the party was underway. Sylvia had ordered Carly's cake from a bakery, and it was lovely, white with pink flowers and 'We love you, Carly' printed on top with pink icing. Carly squealed with happiness over all her nice new presents, not appearing to mind at all that the keys to a Toyota Corolla weren't amongst them.

Afterwards the guests mingled and talked to one another. Feeling a great deal of trepidation but determined to make the best of things, Cindy plastered the biggest smile she could manage onto her face and marched right over to where Norman and Sylvia Greenberg stood.

"I hope that you're enjoying the party," she said with a warm smile.

"You look awful young," Sylvia said. "Do you know how to cook?"

"Of course she does, dear," Norman said mildly.

"Jackie was never the best of cooks, although she did try, the poor dear," Sylvia went on. "Gary always looked so skinny every time I saw him. I know she wasn't feeding him right. And those poor children! They were always so tiny! And always sick with something, a runny nose or a cough..."

Cindy had the feeling that she would be standing there listening to Sylvia Greenberg's voice for a very long time.

"Have you met my Jason? I'm so proud of him." Now Sylvia was onto the subject of her other two children. "He just won a multi-million dollar lawsuit against some crooked corporation. I guess that'll teach them to treat their clients right."

"That's nice." Cindy didn't know what else to say.

* * *

"So, did my mom talk your ear off?" Gary asked. The party was winding down, and most of the guests had gone home.

"They seem like very nice people," Cindy said politely.

"I'm a major disappointment to them," Gary said softly.

"Why?" Cindy was shocked.

"My brother is an attorney, and I was supposed to be the physician of the family. When I was in pre-med, I had a weekend job as a DJ for a local club. That's when I discovered that I enjoyed the music a heck of a lot more than my studies, and my dream of someday owning my own radio station had it's beginning."

"So you dropped out of pre-med?"

"I went through the motions and finished getting my degree, but my heart wasn't in it. After I graduated I went to work full time at a local radio station and never looked back."

"Do you ever regret not going on to medical school?"

"Not one bit. I'm perfectly happy right where I am. I follow my heart in my professional life just as I do in my love life."

"I really admire you for that, Gary."

"Thank you, Cindy. It means a lot to me to hear you say that." He grinned mischievously. "Oh, and I fibbed about that lox. It wasn't really imported from Israel. It came from the deli department at Albertson's."

"But don't ever let my mom know that," he whispered conspiratorially.


	5. Jake's Bar Mitzvah

**May 1990**

Jake's much-anticipated day finally arrived. Gary, Cindy, Carly, and Jake arrived together in Gary's car, Jake looking excited and Carly looking sulky.

"I told her she couldn't wear her Jordan Knight t-shirt tonight," Gary explained.

"How did you do on your algebra exam?" Cindy knew that algebra was Carly's least favorite subject.

"I got a C plus," Carly muttered.

"Hey, that's pretty good! Algebra is a really hard subject. I always hated it myself."

"Things have improved a lot since we started leaving the Walkman at home, right, Carly?"

Carly didn't answer her father.

Gary smiled. "That's another thing she's upset about."

Cindy had never been inside a synagogue before, and she wondered whether it would be similar to a church. Once inside the building, she saw that it was indeed very much like a church, with a few exceptions, such as the Ark containing the Torah rather than a Baptismal font at the front.

When it was time for the Shabbat service to begin, the rabbi called Jake to the front to recite the blessings for the Torah reading and to read that week's portion of the Torah for the first time. Jake glanced nervously at his father, who smiled encouragement to him. After weeks of practice, Jake could pronounce the Hebrew phrases perfectly. Cindy saw the look of pride on Gary's face and felt a sudden pang as she wondered whether she would ever know what it felt like to be a parent. She had always just assumed that she would someday marry and have children, but if her future included Gary, which she very much hoped that it would, would a man who was already the father of two teenagers be willing to start all over again, and would it be fair for her to even expect him to?

For Gary, his son's Bar Mitzvah was a bittersweet experience. It was on occasions such as this one that he felt Jackie's loss most keenly. True, he had moved on with his life, but for him his children's milestones were painful reminders that their mother should be there to witness them as well.

And yet...there stood Cindy beside him, her smiling face causing the love he felt for her to well up inside him all over again. At one time he had wondered whether he would ever be able to love another woman as he had loved Jackie, but then Cindy had come into his life, and his feelings for her had grown so effortlessly and seemed so natural that by the time he had realized what had happened he was already deeply in love with her. He knew that their relationship would face challenges, but he felt that their love was strong enough to overcome them.

Gary knew that Cindy was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, had known that for some time now, and now seemed as good a time as any to tell her so. That thought made his heart race and presented him with a dilemma. How should he tell her? And when? It would have to be done at just the right time and in just the right way.

The Shabbat service concluded, and it was time for the celebratory meal, after which Jake led the Birkat Hamazon, or Grace After Meals.

"That was really wonderful, Jake. I'm so proud of you," Cindy told him, meaning it with all of her heart.

"Thank you," Jake said shyly.

"So, how does it feel to be a man?" Gary grinned at Jake.

"I don't know yet. It's too soon to tell."

Gary had planned to drop Cindy off at her home and then go back to his home with the kids, but he suddenly had another idea.

"Hey kids, how about if I drop you off first and then take Cindy home? There's something important that I want to talk to her about."

Cindy laughed. "It must be awfully important."

"I promise you, it is."

By the time they reached Cindy's home, the anticipation she felt was almost unbearable.

"Well, what is it?" she asked as the car came to a stop.

"You'll know in just a few seconds," Gary said mysteriously.

They both got out of the car and walked to the doorstep, where Gary dropped to one knee, took Cindy's hand, and looked up into her face.

"Will you marry me, Cindy?"

Taken aback, she was silent for a moment, then giggled nervously. "This is kind of sudden, Gary. I...I don't know what to say."

"That's easy. Just say yes." Gary looked at her with pleading eyes, and her heart just melted. Still, she felt slightly hesitant.

"There are just so many things we haven't even talked about yet."

"We've agreed on the most important ones, and the others will work themselves out over time. Please, Cindy, I love you so much. I can't bear to live the rest of my life without you. I promise that I'll do whatever I have to do to make you happy."

"Well, since you put it that way..." She smiled at him. "How could I say no?"


	6. Here Comes The Bride

**June 1990**

"We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day," Cindy remarked. It was very nice, warm but not sticky hot with a clear blue sky with white clouds floating in it like marshmallows. Cindy herself was lovely as well in a frilly white wedding dress, and she was glowing with happiness on this most special of days, as she, Gary, and Rabbi Schwartz stood under the chuppah waiting for their guests to arrive.

"It's gorgeous, all right," Rabbi Schwartz agreed. He was around fifty, with a salt-and-pepper beard and spectacles. Cindy had met him once before, at Jake's Bar Mitzvah, and had been truly impressed with both his intelligence and his kindness.

Gary nervously fiddled with the collar of his suit and his shirt sleeve buttons while pacing back and forth.

"This is your second time around. You should have it all down pat by now," the rabbi teased him.

Gary grinned. "The first time was nearly twenty years ago."

First to arrive were Mike and Carol Brady, accompanied of course by Wally, Marcia, nine-year-old Jessica, and seven-year-old Mickey, who was blowing an enormous bubble with his gum.

"Spit it out this instant," Marcia said through her teeth.

"But Mom, I don't have anything to put it in," Mickey whined.

Marcia took a tissue out of her purse, which Mickey spit the gum into.

Norman and Sylvia Greenberg were next, followed by Greg and Nora Brady with seven-year-old Kevin, Peter Brady, Philip and Jan Covington with their five-year-old adopted Korean daughter Patty, and Jason and Melissa with their families. Bobby and Tracy Brady arrived, Bobby proudly pushing himself in his wheelchair. Although still a paraplegic, he had made great strides in his recovery from his racing accident, and the whole family was proud of him. Cindy went to him and embraced him.

"I'm so glad you could make it," she told him.

"I wouldn't miss my kid sister's wedding for anything in the world," Bobby said with a grin.

Carol Brady looked like she was about to cry. "Can you believe it, Mike? Our baby's getting married!"

"She certainly grew up to be a beautiful woman, just like her mother and sisters." Mike Brady smiled and put his arm around his wife.

The rabbi stepped to the front, indicating that it was time for the ceremony to begin. Cindy and Gary exchanged vows, and the rabbi recited the Sheva Brachot, or seven blessings. At the conclusion, Gary crushed a glass under his right heel, and everyone, even the Bradys, shouted "Mazel tov!"

"It's to symbolize the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem," Gary had explained to Cindy earlier. He didn't want her to be alarmed by the gesture.

After the ceremony was over, little Patty Covington approached Gary.

"Are you my uncle now?" she asked him shyly.

"I most certainly am." Gary scooped the little girl up in his arms and kissed her cheek. Patty, beaming, put her arms around his neck and hugged him as tightly as she could. The little girl who had lost her entire family in Korea was overjoyed to have another person to love her.

"He's such a natural with her," Jan commented.

"He's had plenty of practice." Cindy nodded in Carly's direction.

"So does this mean we're cousins?" Jessica asked Carly.

"I guess so."

"Great! I'm gonna invite you to my next birthday party then." Carly rolled her eyes.

The Greenbergs were playing 'Hava Nagila' and dancing the hora. The Bradys joined in while Bobby watched sadly from his wheelchair. Tracy grabbed the handles of his wheelchair and spun him around in time to the music.

Gary looked happier than Cindy had ever seen him. He spun her around with the energy of a man half his age. To Cindy the whole day had seemed magical, like a scene from a childhood storybook. She knew that if she were dreaming, she never wanted to wake up.

* * *

Later that night, Gary and Cindy lay cuddled in bed. Gary's arms were around Cindy, and her cheek rested on his chest.

"So, how does it feel to finally be Mrs. Greenberg?"

"More wonderful than I can say. How do you like being married again?"

"I couldn't be any happier. Now if only the kids don't throw up tomorrow. I told them no rough rides right after eating. Hopefully they listened." The couple had planned a combination honeymoon/family vacation in Disneyland.

"Do you think Jackie would have liked me?" Cindy felt a little hesitant to ask, but she had to know.

"There's no doubt in my mind that she's smiling down on us from above right this instant. She would have wanted me to be happy, and nothing makes me happier than being married to you."

"Do you think she would trust me to help finish raising her children?"

"Of course she would. Why wouldn't she?"

"Well, for one thing, I'm not Jewish, and for another, I'm only eleven years older than Carly."

Gary sighed. "We've been through that before, Cindy. It's not that important. I know that you love Jake and Carly and want what's best for them just like I do."

"And you think that's enough?"

"It's good enough for me. I'm not a perfect parent myself, Cindy. I just do my best with what I have. That's all that anyone can do."

Cindy yawned.

Gary chuckled. "Go to sleep now, my love. Big day tomorrow." He kissed her on the forehead and gave her a big hug. Drowsily content, Cindy was asleep within minutes.


	7. Bubbe Golda

**November 1990**

Without saying a word, Carly stalked into her bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her. Cindy glanced up in surprise.

"She just found out Milli Vanilli were lip synching all along," Jake explained.

Accustomed to her teenage stepdaughter's moodiness, Cindy just smiled and shook her head.

A few minutes later Gary came in and hugged and kissed Cindy. "Holidays coming up soon," he reminded her. "First night of Hanukkah is December twelfth this year."

"Oh wow, that's right. I have to buy everybody eight presents instead of just one."

Gary laughed. "Eight _little _presents instead of one _big _one, remember. Tickets to a movie, for example."

"But no Milli Vanilli for Carly."

Gary looked questioningly at his son.

"She just found out they're fakes," Jake told him.

"Thanks for the warning. You haven't met my grandmother yet, have you, Cindy?"

"I don't think so."

"You'll love her. She's ninety-eight now. Born in Russia, immigrated to the United States in her teens. Everyone calls her 'Bubbe Golda.' Have you ever seen 'Fiddler On The Roof'?"

"No, but I saw 'The Sound Of Music.' They're similar, right?"

Gary frowned. "Not really. If you watch 'Fiddler On The Roof' that will give you a pretty good idea of what my grandmother's life was like when she was young."

Cindy added 'watch 'Fiddler On The Roof' ' to her mental to-do list, so that she would be ready to meet Gary's Bubbe Golda.

* * *

**December 1990**

"She has a very thick Yiddish accent," Gary told Cindy. "You have to listen very carefully to understand what she says."

"I will be sure and do that," Cindy promised.

"And sometimes she tells the same stories over and over," Jake added.

"I love to hear her stories about the way life used to be a long time ago," Carly retorted.

They arrived at Bubbe Golda's house and rang the doorbell. A middle-aged African-American woman opened the door.

"Well, how do you do there, Mr. Gary. It's so nice of you and your lovely family to come and visit." Cindy smiled and extended her hand. "I'm Gary's wife, Cindy."

"It's very nice to meet you. I'm Miss Mabel. I help take care of Bubbe Golda."

As soon as they stepped into the house, Cindy saw Gary's grandmother sitting in her wheelchair.

Miss Mabel turned the wheelchair to face the family. Cindy thought that Bubbe Golda must be the oldest person she had ever met. Her hair was completely white, and she wore it in loose curls all over her head. The skin of her face was lined with many wrinkles, and her eyes were a beautiful clear blue behind her eyeglasses. They lit up as soon as she saw Gary and his family.

"Hello Bubbe." Gary went to her and embraced her. "It's so good to see you again."

"Well, hello there..." Her voice trailed off.

"It's Gary." He smiled. "I'm married again, Bubbe. This is my new wife Cindy."

"Cindy. It's nice to meet you too, dear. And the children..." She looked confused again.

"I'm Carly, and this is Jake."

"Of course." She laughed. "You'll have to forgive me. My memory isn't what it used to be."

"Oh, that's all right, Bubbe," Gary assured her.

"Would you like some refreshments?" Miss Mabel asked after they were seated.

"No, thanks, we're fine," Gary and Cindy replied. Jake started to say something, and Gary frowned and shook his head at him.

Cindy was at a loss for words. What in the world did one talk about with someone who was ninety-eight years old? As it turned out, she needn't have worried.

"But then, a lot of things aren't the way they used to be," Bubbe Golda went on. "In the neighborhood I grew up in, we were all very poor, but we helped each other as much as we could. Everyone in the shtetl, we were all family. No one was a stranger. For us it was the best way to show our devotion to God, to care for one another. Keeping the Sabbath was important, studying the Torah was important, but helping our neighbors was the most important thing of all."

"I'll never forget the day the pogrom came to the shtetl. It started out as just another quiet day with everyone going about their usual business, when all of a sudden we heard a terrible commotion. We children were very afraid and went and hid under the bed. We could hear the angry mob shouting 'Kill the Jews!' My father grabbed a knife and was going to go outside and fight them, but my mother begged him not to."

" 'We must leave right away,' my father said. 'If we stay here we will all be killed.' We children heard what was going on and were so afraid that we started crying. Our parents snatched us up and we fled out the back door."

"We hid until the commotion was over and my father deemed it safe to return. We went back to find only the empty shell of a house. All of our belongings were gone. But that wasn't the worst of it. We heard loud wailing from next door and went to see what had happened. It turned out that our next door neighbor had been killed, stabbed to death while attempting to defend his family. We were all so shocked and saddened. We had known the man our entire lives and he had been almost like an uncle to us. That was when we knew that we could stay there no longer. The next pogrom could mean all our deaths."

"I remember the day we boarded the ship to come to the United States. I felt so very sad about leaving my friends and the only home I had ever known. My little sister was crying, and I held her hand. 'It will be all right. God will take care of us,' I told her. I held my prayer book tightly in the other hand until we were all safely aboard the ship."

"The journey across the ocean seemed endless to us. To help pass the dull days, we children played games, pretending that we were Noah's family on the ark with all those animals. I got pretty good at imitating horses, donkeys, and elephants." She laughed again.

"I'll never forget the day my parents called us children together. 'Look over there,' they told us, pointing. We saw a giant statue of a woman with one arm in the air holding a torch. 'That's the Statue of Liberty,' they told us. My mother had tears running down her face. 'We are free at last!' she told us. My father whooped with joy, and we children danced around shouting excitedly. We were so happy that our long journey was finally nearly over with. So you see...is it Jackie?"

"Cindy." Cindy hoped that she didn't sound rude.

"Cindy. This land that you live in, it's a wonderful place. Never forget how fortunate you are to have the freedom and privileges you enjoy here."

"Oh, no, ma'am. I never will."

Bubbe Golda's head had fallen forward, and she let out a loud snore.

"We'd better leave. It's time for her nap," Gary said softly.

"Come back any time you want. She's always so happy to see you," Miss Mabel told them.

Cindy wasn't able to say anything at all on the way home. As Gary pulled into the driveway, he heard her sobbing quietly.

"What's wrong, honey?" Cindy cried so rarely that Gary knew that whatever it was, it had to be something pretty serious.

"Your grandmother's story...it was just so sad...so terribly sad...I just have such a hard time believing that those things actually happened..."

"Prejudice and hatred cause people to do terrible things," Gary said gently.

"Yes, but today it hit very close to home."

Gary held her tenderly and kissed her tears away. "I love you so much, Cindy Greenberg."

"I love you too, Gary."

"I know you do." He held her for a few minutes longer. "Are you going to be all right?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

They got out of the car and walked to the house hand in hand, a sacred silence between them which neither wanted to break with words.


	8. Deja Vu

**April 1991**

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" To Gary, Cindy looked as if she might break down and cry any minute.

Cindy shrugged. "I'm all right." She tried to look busy pouring coffee and setting the table for breakfast. Gary, knowing that something was wrong but willing to wait until she was ready to talk about it, watched her silently for a few minutes.

Cindy glanced at him briefly. "My period just started." She wasn't able to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry." Gary gave her a comforting hug. "It'll happen next month. I know it will."

"That's what you said last month. And the month before that."

"Well, I think you just need to relax about it. If it was meant to be, it'll happen. No use stressing yourself out about it."

"Yeah, that's easy enough for you to say."

"What do you mean by that? I thought that we were in this together." Gary looked hurt.

"I'm sorry," Cindy mumbled guiltily. "I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"Look, don't you see the gynecologist soon anyway? Maybe he can check just to make sure nothing serious is wrong."

"They put Jan through all those tests and never found anything wrong with her or Philip. She just never got pregnant."

"But she and Philip are the happy parents of a beautiful little girl now. See, if one door closes, another will open."

"But I want my own so bad, Gary."

"I know you do, sweetie. I want a baby with you too. And maybe it will be different for us than it was for Jan and Philip."

"I sure do hope so." Cindy attempted a weak smile. Gary's heart ached for her. He knew how badly she wanted a baby, and he was sure that she would be an excellent mother. He had seen the way she interacted with Jake and Carly, and he thought that they could never have asked for a better stepmother. He greatly appreciated everything she had done for them, was still doing for them.

"I hope so too, Cindy."

Gary and Cindy were relaxing after dinner that night when the phone rang.

"Cindy, guess what!" Jan sounded more excited than she ever had before.

"What?" Cindy asked eagerly.

"I'm pregnant!"

"Wow! Really?"

"Yes! I just found out today. I took the home pregnancy test first, then just to make sure it wasn't a false positive, I went to the doctor. He told me that I'm about four weeks along. I just got off the phone with Mom. She's thrilled!"

"Well, that's great, Jan! congratulations! What does Patty think about it?"

"We haven't told her yet. We haven't decided how we should tell her. I sure hope she'll be happy about it."

"Well, I'm sure she will, Jan."

"Phil and I are worried that she might feel displaced."

"I just don't see that happening, Jan. Patty loves babies. I'm sure she'll be a wonderful big sister."

After Cindy hung up, she shared the news with Gary.

"Well, that's great, Cindy! I know she's been wanting a baby for a long time." He looked happy. "Bad timing for you, though, isn't it?" His voice was gentle as he took her hand.

"I'm okay with it." While Cindy was genuinely happy for her sister, Jan's happy news did seem to make her own situation more poignant.

* * *

"It sounds to me like you may not be ovulating," Dr. Young told Cindy at her next gynecological exam. "My advice is for you to take your temperature first thing in the morning every day and keep a record of your daily temperatures. Plot them on a graph. If you are ovulating, you will see a slight increase in your temperature over a period of a couple of days each month. That's your optimal time to conceive. Try that for several months, and if you still don't get pregnant, I'll prescribe fertility pills for you."

"So the most intimate part of our lives is now a science project," Gary commented when Cindy repeated the doctor's instructions to him.

"I'm sorry it has to be this way."

"So, no more spontaneity. Boy, talk about pressure to perform."

Cindy gave him a pleading look, and he rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Okay. Whatever."

**July 1991**

Cindy sat in Dr. Young's office, waiting while he looked over her completed graphs.

"I see no definite spike in your monthly temperature, and to me that indicates that you're probably not ovulating. I think it's time to consider fertility drugs." He scribbled something on a pad. "Here's your prescription. Be sure to take the medication exactly as directed. You should also keep charting your daily temperatures on a graph as you have been doing. Good luck to you."

"Thank you!" _This has just got to work, _Cindy told herself as she walked back out to her car.

**September 1991**

Cindy was choosing CD's for her afternoon play list when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and a kiss on the top of her head. Startled, she dropped the list, and it landed on her desk.

"Gary! You scared me!"

He laughed. "You happen to be ever so much fun to scare, my love. How about hot dogs in the park? The weather's gorgeous!" It was true. The hot stickiness of summer was over, and the early morning autumn chill hadn't yet set it. The sky was a gorgeous blue, the clouds were puffy and white, and the leaves would soon start changing colors and dropping from the trees. Jake and Carly had returned to school only a couple of weeks previously. Carly was in her senior year of high school, and Jake was a freshman.

Cindy laughed. "All right."

A few minutes later, they were sitting on a bench in the park eating hot dogs.

"You know, this may well be the very same bench we were sitting on when it all started between us a couple of years ago," Cindy remarked.

Gary took another bite of his hot dog. "So tell me, ma'am, are you here to apply for the disc jockey position?"

Cindy giggled and played along. "Yes sir, I am."

"Do you have references?"

"The best."

"Let's see them, then."

Cindy glanced back at the radio station. "Left them in the office."

Gary embraced her. "Come here, you."

Cindy giggled again. "What makes you think this is appropriate behavior for a job interview?"

"All right, you've got the job. Interview over." He pulled her to him and kissed her passionately.

"We have to be back at the radio station in a few minutes," she reminded him a while later.

"Oh, I can think of much more enjoyable activities for this lovely afternoon than sitting at a desk playing CD's. Can't you?"

"But who will do our jobs?"

"I'll call in my assistant and one of the other DJ's as soon as we get home." Which he did, just before gathering Cindy into his arms and kissing her passionately once again. "I've got much more important business to attend to right here," he murmured, nibbling Cindy's ear.

"But it's not the right time of the month," Cindy protested.

Gary looked chagrined. "Oh, forget about your stupid graphs and charts. I'm tired of my love life being dictated by them." He had finished with her ear and was kissing her neck.

"You are awfully hard to resist," she laughingly admitted.

"Not as hard to resist as you are." He gazed lovingly into her eyes. "Please, Cindy."

Suddenly it didn't matter to her what time of month it was. All that mattered was that she wanted to be with Gary, right there and then.

"I want you, Gary. I want you so bad." She was almost crying.

"Hey, you've got me. You don't have to cry." He laughed and kissed her nose, and she relaxed and yielded to his gentle caresses.


	9. Mazel Tov To Us Both

**October 1991**

"You check the result," Cindy told Gary. "I'm too scared to look. I'm afraid I might just be disappointed again."

"Aww." Gary stuck his bottom lip out in a pretend pout. He knew how tired his wife was of looking at the results of negative pregnancy tests. "Okay, I'll be brave for both of us." He disappeared into the bathroom and returned a moment later, still wearing his pout. Cindy was crushed. A moment later he grinned widely at her. "Just teasing you! It's positive!"

"Hurray!" Cindy ran to him and hugged him tightly.

"We did it, Cyn." Gary's face was positively glowing.

"Well, mazel tov to us both!" Cindy quipped.

Gary burst out laughing. "You're really something else," he said, shaking his head.

* * *

"I have to warn you, this is going to feel cold," Dr. Young's sonographer told Cindy as she applied gel to Cindy's lower abdomen. Cindy was about to have her first ultrasound to make sure that her pregnancy was healthy and to get a better estimate of her due date.

"Yikes! You're not kidding," Cindy complained. She and Gary watched as the sonographer's hand moved over Cindy's abdomen and the black and white images appeared on the screen.

"Do twins run in either of your families?" the sonagrapher asked suddenly. Cindy and Gary looked at each other, puzzled. "No."

The sonographer indicated a spot on the screen. "Here's one baby." She moved her instrument a short distance. "And here's the other baby."

Gary and Cindy looked at each other in stunned silence, for a minute, then laughed.

"Well, we never do anything halfway, do we?" Gary said.

"Do they both look healthy?" Cindy asked.

"Everything looks fine to me. Your estimated due date is June 17, 1992."

"Just out of curiosity, on about what date would conception have occurred?" Cindy asked.

"I'd say around September 25, 1991."

"Guess what, Gary? September 25 was the afternoon we played hooky from the radio station," Cindy announced later, looking at the calendar on her kitchen wall. "Remember? I thought that it couldn't happen that day because I thought it was the wrong time of the month."

"Of course I remember. How could I ever forget?" Gary grinned. "I guess you'll listen to me from now on, won't you?" He hugged her from behind and kissed her neck.

* * *

"God, Cindy, how are we ever going to be able to afford twins? In less than a year I'll have Carly's college tuition to worry about." The two of them were lying in bed talking it over that night.

"I can help, Gary. I'm still working, remember?"

"That's another thing we're going to have to think about. If you keep working, child care for two infants will cost more than child care for just one."

"So we'll work opposite shifts. One of us will stay home with the babies while the other goes to work."

"And then how much of each other will we see?"

Cindy sighed. "We'll work something out, Gary. Other couples have done it, and so will we. Now shut up and go to sleep." She hit him over the head with a pillow, and he laughed.

* * *

**November 1991**

"See you later," Cindy said brightly as she gave Gary a hug and kiss.

"Enjoy yourself, Cindy, and please, please be careful." Gary seemed reluctant to let her go, and Cindy saw something in his eyes that made her feel hesitant for just a second as well, but she told herself not to be silly.

"Of course I will be, but what's going to happen? It's only a couple of miles away." Cindy was on her way to Jan's baby shower. Jan was eight months pregnant now, and _huge. _Cindy wondered how much bigger you got with twins than with just one baby.

Cindy turned the radio to KBLA's setting and sang along with it on her way to meet the others. Carol, Marcia, Nora, Tracy, and a few of Jan's friends from work were all going to be there.

"Cindy! I'm so glad you could make it!" Jan ran to her younger sister and gave her a hug.

"How are you feeling?" Jan looked at her sister with concern.

"Fine."

"What about morning sickness?"

"It was pretty bad at first, but now I drink iced tea and eat crackers first thing in the morning, and that helps a lot. Also any food with ginger in it."

"Cindy's going to have twins!" Jan announced to the group.

"Bobby and I are planning to start a family soon too," Tracy added.

"You mean using donor sperm?" Marcia asked.

"With modern day technology, we have a couple of other options before we would have to resort to that. I've been talking to Nora about it."

"How does Patty feel about the new arrival?" Cindy asked.

"She's very excited," Jan told her. "At first she felt insecure, afraid that we would love the new baby more than her. We assured her that we had plenty of love for both her and the new baby, and now she feels a lot better about it. She's been using her dolls to practice taking care of the baby. She can't wait until her baby sister is here."

"Have you chosen a name yet?" asked Tracy.

"We've decided on 'Peyton Renee'. We wanted a name beginning with the letter 'P' because of Patty. We thought that that would help her not to feel left out once the baby's here."

Hors d'oeuvres were passed around, and the women laughed and chatted while they ate. Then Jan opened her presents and squealed with delight over all the frilly little pink dresses and booties. Cindy wondered whether her twins were two boys, two girls, or one of each. It didn't really matter to her, as long as they were both healthy.

The evening wore on, and soon Cindy realized that it was getting close to dinner time. Most of the other guests were departing, so Cindy said good-bye to Jan and got into her Toyota to drive home. A few minutes later she realized that another driver was coming toward her in the opposite lane, slowly weaving back and forth between the lanes. He swerved into Cindy's lane, and Cindy had to jerk the steering wheel sharply to the right to avoid a head-on collision. Her car left the road and collided with a telephone pole head-on.


	10. Lightning Strikes Twice

Cindy's head hit the windshield, and her chest slammed into the steering wheel, hard. The next thing she knew, several strangers were outside her car, knocking on the window and anxiously asking if she were all right.

Cindy looked at the car's hood, which was scrunched up like an accordion, and groaned loudly. "Gary is going to be _so _upset," she muttered. By the time she had opened the car door and stepped out, a police cruiser was waiting. Cindy told the policeman about the driver who had been weaving between the lanes.

"You'd better stop him before he hurts anyone else," she insisted.

"He's already been apprehended," the policeman told her. "His sobriety is being tested as we speak. Are you all right? Do you think you need to go to the hospital?"

"I...I don't know," Cindy stammered. "My head and chest hurt, and I'm two months pregnant. I guess...I guess I better go." The policeman called an ambulance, and Cindy was driven to the hospital.

Cindy was given an X-ray, cat scan, and ultrasound. To her tremendous relief, both her babies appeared to be fine.

"You have a mild concussion and a couple of bruised ribs. You were lucky this time," the doctor told her. "Still, I think you need to stay here overnight for observation, especially since you're pregnant."

Gary arrived a short time later, in a state of emotional upset in which she had never seen him before, and it frightened her.

"Jackie! Oh, Jackie..." Gary clutched Cindy tightly, and to Cindy's alarm he was _crying. _Cindy had never seen her husband cry before.

"Gary! It's me, Cindy. I'm all right!"

Gary looked at her in confusion for a moment.

"Cindy...it's you...I thought...I thought..." He couldn't go on.

"Gary, it's all right, honest. I'm fine, the babies are fine, everything's going to be fine. Really!" Cindy tried desperately to get through to him, and he did seem to visibly calm down over the next few minutes.

"The patient's husband seems to be in worse shape than the patient herself," a nurse remarked later, when Gary had stepped out into the hallway.

"It's because of what happened to his first wife," Cindy explained.

Next to visit were Mike and Carol Brady.

"Oh, honey, are you all right?" Carol rushed to her daughter and embraced her. "I can't believe it. First Bobby, and now you."

"I'm fine, Mom. Just a slight concussion and a couple of bruised ribs. It's Gary I'm worried about. He really freaked out. Called me by his first wife's name. He must have had some kind of flashback."

"Gary's fine. Jake and Carly are with him," Mike told her.

"Gary's freaked out because of what happened to his first wife, and Mom's freaked out because of Bobby. I'm the only one who isn't freaked out, and I'm the one that it actually happened to," Cindy muttered to herself before drifting off to sleep that night.

Gary arrived with Jake and Carly to check her out of the hospital the next day.

"You're on bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy, young lady," he joked. Then he grew serious. "I'm so sorry for the way I reacted yesterday. I feel so badly that I upset you. It's just that when they told me what had happened, and then I saw you lying there in the hospital, I thought that it was happening all over again."

"Gary," Cindy said gently, placing a hand on his arm. "Did you go for counseling after Jackie died?"

"I talked to the rabbi a lot, and he helped me come to terms with it."

"Do you think you should talk to him again?" Cindy made a mental note to speak to Rabbi Schwartz herself about the situation as soon as she could.

"I'll be all right." Gary grinned.

"You know, honey, there's no shame in admitting that you need a little extra help from time to time."

"I said, I'll be all right!" Suddenly angry, Gary jerked his arm away. They rode the rest of the way home in silence.

"I think I'll lie down and rest awhile. I've got a little bit of a headache," Cindy said when they arrived at the house.

"By all means, sweetheart. Please take good care of yourself." Gary hugged her closely. "God, Cindy, I really could have lost you. All three of you." His voice was so soft that it was almost a whisper.

"But you didn't. We're still here." Cindy lovingly touched his face and stroked his hair.

"I watched her die, Cyn. She was only thirty-five years old." His voice was choked with unshed tears.

"I know." Cindy rubbed his back gently. She felt his pain and wished that there was something she could do to take it away.

"I love you, Gary."

"I love you too, Cindy. God, I never realized how much until this happened." They held each other tightly for a long time, without saying anything more.


	11. Rising Star

**February 1992**

"Everything still looks fine." The sonographer's wand moved deftly over Cindy's swollen abdomen. It was Cindy's twenty-week check-up, and her first ultrasound in several months.

"Wow, you can sure see more detail now. Look at those little arms and legs waving!" Gary commented.

"Kicking, you mean." Cindy looked uncomfortable. "Especially at night when I'm trying to sleep."

The sonographer laughed. "Get used to it. It gets worse and worse as you go along. Would you like to know the genders of your babies? I can tell you now if you want."

Gary and Cindy looked at each other. "Sure, why not?" Cindy said.

The sonographer moved her wand again. "This one is a girl," she told them. "And the other one is a boy."

"All right!" Gary and Cindy hugged each other and grinned happily.

"One of each," Cindy commented.

"Jake and Carly all over again, just both at once this time." Gary chuckled.

The sonographer frowned and didn't say anything for such a long time that Cindy began to feel uneasy. "Is something wrong?" she asked anxiously.

"Dr. Young will be in to talk to you in a few minutes." The sonographer left, and Gary and Cindy looked at each other, bewildered.

"One baby's placenta is covering your cervix," Dr. Young explained to Cindy a few minutes later. "It's a condition called placenta previa. What it means for you is that your children will be delivered by C-section. But since we caught it this soon, everything should be fine."

"Oh, no," Cindy moaned. "I wanted a natural delivery with Gary by my side so bad."

"I'll still be there with you, honey." Gary gave Cindy a comforting hug.

"But I'll be in surgery..."

"You'll be given a spinal anesthesia, so you'll still be awake for the birth," Dr. Young assured her.

Cindy still looked doubtful.

"I'm not sure I'd be able to take watching myself being operated on," she said.

Dr. Young laughed. "Oh, there'll be a drape so that you won't see the actual procedure. There's a film you'll be watching later on that explains the whole thing."

As they left the doctor's office and headed for their car, Cindy's expression still looked troubled. Gary squeezed her hand affectionately.

"Everything will be fine, sweetheart. You're in the best of hands, and I'll be right there with you the whole time."

* * *

**April 1992**

"Guess what!" Carly shouted excitedly, bursting into the house. Cindy looked at her expectantly.

"Remember when I sang 'Couldv'e Been' by Tiffany for the school talent show?"

Cindy nodded.

"Well, Jennifer's cousin is a talent scout, and she heard a recording of me singing that song and wants to meet me! She says she might be able to get me a recording session in the studio!" Carly's eyes were dancing with excitement.

"Oh, honey, that's wonderful!" Cindy hugged Carly and kissed her on the cheek.

"I can't wait to tell Dad and Jake!" Carly exclaimed.

Later the family was discussing the matter over dinner.

"If Jennifer's cousin's boss likes me well enough, maybe I can even get a recording contract." Carly was talking so much that she had hardly eaten anything.

"And if I can get a recording contract, maybe I won't have to go to college after all," she continued.

"Whoa, back up there just a minute," Gary interrupted. "What's this about not having to go to college?"

"Well, Dad, if I can get a recording contract, maybe one of my songs will become a hit, and then I'd already have a career as a recording artist, so why would I even need college?"

"Carly, of all the young people your age who want to be pop stars, how many of them actually make it?" Gary asked quietly.

Carly looked hurt. "Are you saying you don't believe in me?"

"Of course I believe in you, honey. I'm just saying that the world of pop music stardom is a highly competitive world. Even for the most talented singers, success is never a guarantee. You need something to fall back on in case your singing career doesn't take off the way you hope it will, and that's why you need a college education."

Carly's expression turned sulky, and she barely said anything for the rest of the evening.

"I remember what I was like when I was eighteen," Gary said to Cindy as they were getting ready for bed that night. "I thought I could conquer the world. Boy, did reality come around and slap me in the face hard a few years later."

"We all have dreams," Cindy said. "When I was eighteen, I had this fantasy about running a home for orphans and abused children. I thought that I could save them all."

Gary looked at her admiringly. "That sounds like a very worthy dream, Cindy. What happened to it?"

"I interviewed for a job as a disc jockey. You know the rest." They both laughed heartily.

"Well, one thing I can say for sure is that you're wonderful with Jake and Carly."

"I'm so glad you think so."

"I know so." Gary smiled and gave her a big hug. "So perhaps you are living out your dream after all, just on a much smaller scale."

"I never really thought of it that way before, but I guess you're right."

* * *

**May 1992**

It was the day after Jake's fifteenth birthday, and he seemed moody and glum.

"Is something the matter, Jake?" Cindy asked him.

He glared at the floor. "Dad, how come you and Mom had to have me and Carly only a month apart?"

"Well, we didn't exactly plan it that way." Gary chuckled. "That's just the way it happened. Why, what's wrong with it?"

"Because every year her birthday is such a big deal. Mine comes along a month later and it's just an afterthought. Even the year I turned thirteen. You know Joel got to have his bar mitzvah at the Wailing Wall in Israel. Micah probably will too." Joel and Micah were the sons of Gary's brother Jason.

"Well, son, bar mitzvahs in Israel are quite costly," Gary told him. "It doesn't matter to God where you are when you become a son of the covenant. You're every bit as much His child as Joel and Micah are." Cindy knew that Gary thought that the amount of money Jason had spent on Joel's bar mitzvah was foolish.

"And that's not the only thing. Now Carly's got this appointment with this talent scout who's supposed to make her famous. And Cindy's about to have twins. I can just see the amount of fuss that's going to be made over them when they get here."

Gary laughed and patted Jake on the shoulder. "Welcome to the joys of being the middle kid, son."

Jake looked at his father in surprise.

"I was the middle kid too, you know. Your Uncle Jason's older than me and your Aunt Melissa's younger than me, so I was the kid in the middle too, just like you're gonna be."

"Oh yeah, that's right." Jake looked thoughtful.

"But you know what's really neat about being the middle kid?" Gary asked.

"What?"

"What's neat about it is that when you grow up, it'll always be very important to you to treat everybody fairly, because you'll know what it feels like to have to deal with situations that don't seem fair."

"Did a lot of unfair stuff happen to you when you were growing up too?"

"You better believe it did."

"I remember how, when we girls were younger, sometimes Jan would get jealous of me or Marcia. I never really understood why until just now," Cindy said to Gary later.

"It helps to hear someone else's perspective, doesn't it," Gary replied.

* * *

**June 1992**

"Are you sure you have everything packed?" Gary asked.

"Checked and double-checked," Cindy replied. They were packing to go to the hospital for Cindy's C-section.

"Let's go then." Gary carried the suitcase to the car and drove them both to the hospital, where Cindy was admitted and taken to the operating room in a wheelchair.

"Nervous?" Gary asked her.

"Well...yes, just a little," Cindy admitted. "But I'm more excited than anything else. Just think, in only a short while we'll be holding our babies for the very first time!"

"I can't wait," Gary added.

Dr. Young entered the room. "Well, are you ready?" he asked pleasantly.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess." Cindy laughed nervously.

"Oh, you'll do fine." Dr. Young smiled and patted Cindy's leg.

The anesthesiologist entered a few minutes later. Cindy sat on the edge of the bed as he instructed and winced and held tightly to Gary's hand as the needle was inserted. Then she lay on her side as she waited for the anesthetic to take effect. Gary spoke soothingly to her and stroked her hair. Cindy closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on his voice and touch.

A short time later a nurse helped Cindy to lie on her back and put the drape in place, and Dr. Young began the procedure.


	12. The Kindest Cut

"It feels just like my incision is ripping open," Cindy moaned. It was the evening after the twins' birth, and Cindy was standing up for the first time. The nurses had insisted that she walk the length of the hallway, that mobility was important to prevent blood clots from forming in her legs.

"Come on, girl, you can do it," Gary encouraged her. She grabbed her IV pole in one hand and, leaning heavily on Gary, slowly made her way down the hall, inch by painful inch. When she returned to the hospital room and eased onto her bed, the nurses and Gary cheered, but Cindy burst into tears.

"I'll never be back to normal again!" she cried.

"Oh, nonsense. You'll be be-bopping around here in no time," one of the nurses said.

"Ha! Yeah, right," Cindy muttered.

* * *

"So, shall we raise Jonathan as a Jew and Rebecca as a Christian, like I heard they did on some program about pioneers?" Gary asked.

"That was Nellie and Percival Dalton on 'Little House on the Prairie,' and no, I think that would be silly."

"Oh yeah, Carly used to watch that show all the time. It was one of her favorites when she was a few years younger."

"I used to watch it all the time when I was a kid too. I think it would be a much better idea to do like Margaret's parents did in 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." Raise them in both traditions and let them decide for themselves when they get older."

Gary looked at Cindy in surprise. "Carly read all those books, too." They both laughed.

"You seem to have an awful lot in common with Carly when it comes to TV shows and books," Gary commented.

"Well, we are only eleven years apart."

Gary rolled his eyes. "And you just couldn't resist reminding me of that fact."

Cindy thought quickly. "Well, you watched 'Gilligan's Island' when you were a kid, didn't you?"

"Every single episode, dozens of times each."

"So did I, but Carly's a little young to remember that show, don't you think?"

"Well, yeah, I guess so."

"Well, there you go."

"Thank you, Cindy, I feel ever so much better now." They laughed again.

* * *

Unfortunately, Carol Brady and Sylvia Greenberg arrived to visit their new grandchildren within a few minutes of each other later that day.

"Rebecca is Carly all over again," Sylvia remarked. "And Jonathan, what a handsome little man. Before you know it, it will be time for his bris."

"His _what?" _Carol was taken aback.

"His circumcision ceremony. All Jewish baby boys are circumcised on their eighth day of life. It's in the Torah."

"But that's crazy! Cindy isn't Jewish. Marcia had Mickey's done right in the hospital the day after he was born. There's no need for all that fuss."

Sylvia looked outraged. "Well, I'll have you know..."

"Both of you get out of here, right now!" Gary snapped. "If you're going to argue, you'll just have to take it somewhere else. I'll not have my wife upset when she's just had major surgery."

Sylvia glared at him. "Well, I never..."

Carol gave Cindy a pleading look, but the look on Gary's face said that he meant business, so both women stepped into the hallway.

"I'm so sorry you had to hear all that." Gary held Cindy close. "Right now all you should have to worry about is your own recovery and getting used to being a new mommy."

"Ah, my knight in shining armor." Cindy snuggled up to him.

Rebecca began to whimper. "I think somebody's hungry." Gary picked his daughter up and handed her to Cindy to be fed. Her brother joined her a few moments later.

"We will have to make a decision about that soon," Gary said. "They'll be around with the surgical consent forms shortly."

""Why does it have to be on the eighth day?"

"It's in the Bible, dear. You guys have the same Bible we do, well sort of, anyway." He grinned sheepishly.

"I don't remember that part." Cindy looked at her sleeping son. "Poor little guy."

"Jake came through his like a trooper."

"He didn't have much choice about it, did he?"

Gary laughed and tousled Cindy's hair.

* * *

Cindy stood with Gary in the synagogue, holding both twins. The Greenbergs were there too, and so was Cindy's obstetrician brother Greg. Carol Brady's main concern had been that the bris was not going to be held in a medical setting, and she had feared the possibility of complications such as bleeding or infection. After talking it over, Gary and Cindy had decided to ask Greg to be there for the ceremony. Carol still wasn't completely comfortable with the ceremony taking place in a synagogue rather than a hospital, and Sylvia resented Greg's presence, feeling that it undermined the rabbi's position, but Gary had reminded them both that it was his and Cindy's decision, not theirs. Cindy knew how important it was to Gary that the ceremony take place in as traditional a manner as possible, and Gary appreciated Carol's concern for her grandson's safety.

Gary took little Jonathan in his arms and held him while the rabbi performed the actual procedure. Neither Gary nor Cindy were able to watch. Little Jonathan cried, of course, and after it was over, the rabbi handed him to Cindy so that she could comfort him while Gary held his sister.

Afterwards there was a blessing with wine and challah, followed by a celebratory meal, but Cindy was too concerned with her tiny son's comfort to pay much attention to anything else.

By the time Gary and Cindy were ready to go home, little Jonathan was asleep like his sister. Gary and Cindy placed both babies in their cribs, and Cindy watched them sleep for awhile before joining Gary in the den to await the return of Jake and Carly from school.


	13. Cousin Rhonda

Cindy couldn't believe how quickly her twins were growing. Their skin became smoother and their limbs plumper, and they very quickly outgrew their newborn size clothes. Cindy would never forget the first time she saw Rebecca smile. She had taken the baby out of the bathtub and laid her on a towel to dry her off, when suddenly Rebecca grinned and moved her arms in big circles. Jonathan's first smile came a few days later.

Cindy was amazed at how different their personalities were. Rebecca was a very active baby, very interested in the world around her, and quite vocal. She cried more than Jonathan did, and she also began to make the sweetest little cooing noises when she was only a few weeks old. Jonathan was a calmer, quieter baby, less active and more content to just lie there taking in everything that was happening around him.

"Rebecca's going to be our little chatterbox, and Jonathan's going to be our little philosopher," Gary predicted.

"You're probably right," Cindy laughed.

In August Carly went away to college, and the house seemed very empty and quiet without her. Gary moved his guitar and amplifiers into her bedroom and began to use it as a temporary studio.

"You're only going to have to move all of that back out again when she comes home for the holidays," Cindy reminded him.

"So I might as well take advantage of the situation while I still can." Gary winked at her.

Thanksgiving came and went, and preparations for the winter holidays were soon underway. Gary generously told Cindy that she could have whatever size Christmas tree she wanted, but Cindy chose a small one that she could sit on and end table.

"My folks have always had a really big one, and there were always so many pine needles to clean out of the carpet in January," she explained.

"Lucky thing menorahs aren't nearly as messy," Gary kidded her.

"No, with menorahs you only have to worry about melting candle wax."

"That's not as messy as pine needles."

"Oh yeah? Says who?"

"Says me, that's who." He tickled her, and she giggled.

Just then the phone rang.

"I hope I'm not calling at a bad time," Jan said.

"Oh no. Gary and I were just having an argument about whose holiday decorations are messier."

Jan laughed. "I wanted to let you know that there's this new girl who just started working with me, and I found out she's our cousin! Her dad was our dad's brother. Our biological dad, I mean. Her name's Rhonda and she's coming to Mom's house Saturday afternoon. We'd love it if you could make it too."

"Sure, I'll be there," Cindy told her.

Saturday afternoon, Cindy bundled the twins into her Toyota and drove to Mike and Carol's house. Gary was spending the afternoon with Jake, enjoying some quality father/son time. When Cindy arrived, cousin Rhonda and Jan were already there. Cindy put the twins in their double stroller and went inside.

Cousin Rhonda was sitting on the sofa with Jan and Carol. She had curly light brown hair and blue eyes, and she looked to be in about her mid thirties.

"Hi, you must be Cindy." Rhonda came over to Cindy and gave her a hug. "You have twins! That is so awesome! How old are they?"

"Almost six months."

Rhonda held each twin briefly and then sat on the sofa again.

Jan had brought Peyton, who was just over a year old now. She had just learned to walk and toddled all over the living room, her big blue eyes taking in everything around her. She saw the twins and walked right up to Rebecca, who laughed and kicked. Jonathan smiled and reached to gently touch Peyton's hand.

"Does Patty still enjoy being a big sister?" Cindy asked.

"For the most part, yes," Jan replied. "Lately she's been asking a lot of questions about the differences between herself and Peyton, like why their eyes are different colors, why Peyton's skin is so much lighter than hers, why Peyton's hair is blonde while her own is black, why their eyes are shaped differently..."

"Wow, how are you handling all that?" Carol wanted to know.

"I told her that babies are born looking like the mommy whose belly they were in, so a baby from a Korean mommy looks Korean and a baby from a white mommy is white. I think that satisfied her for the time being, although it still bothers her that Peyton looks so much more like us than she herself does."

"Perhaps when she gets older she'll understand it better. I hope so," Carol said. "Oh, by the way, I've got some great news! Tracy's pregnant!"

"Wow, Mom, that is good news!" Cindy said. "So the electroejaculation procedure worked?"

Carol nodded. "She and Bobby are so happy."

"Well, I'm happy for them too!"

"So am I," Jan echoed.

"Bobby and Tracy?" asked Rhonda.

"That's our brother, well, actually our stepbrother, but to us he's our real brother, and his wife," Jan explained. "He's paralyzed from the waist down from a race car driving accident a couple of years ago."

"That's terrible," Rhonda said sympathetically.

Just then Marcia arrived. Carol went to the door and gave her a hug. "I'm so glad you could make it, honey."

"I almost didn't," Marcia told her. "Wally just did make it back home."

"I remember you, just vaguely," Rhonda told Marcia.

"I remember you too, from when we used to visit our grandparents when we were little."

"You're Uncle Roy's oldest daughter."

"Yes, I'm Marcia."

"We were all so shocked when we heard that his ship had gone down and that there were no survivors."

"I barely remember my father at all, I was so little when he died," Cindy told Rhonda. "What do you remember about him?"

"He was always the life of the party," Rhonda said. "Always telling funny stories. He always used to find a quarter behind my ear. I always thought that was hilarious."

Cindy was beginning to feel very sad.

"I have a photo I would like to show you if you would like to see it," Rhonda offered.

"Oh, yes, please!" Cindy said. "I haven't seen very many photos of my father at all."

Rhonda showed them all a photo of Roy Martin holding Marcia on one knee and Rhonda on the other. They looked to be about four. Roy was blond with dark glasses, and he was grinning broadly.

Rebecca began to get fussy, and soon her brother joined in, jerking Cindy back into the present.

"It's time for their dinner," she said. She fed the twins and prepared to leave. "They sleep much better in their own cribs," she said apologetically. "It was very nice to meet you, Rhonda."

"I enjoyed meeting you too. We should get together again soon," Rhonda said.

Cindy put the twins back in their double stroller and took them out to the car. She buckled them into their car seats and drove home in the fading sunlight.

Cindy had settled the twins down in their cribs and was preparing dinner when Gary and Jake came home.

"How did it go?" Gary asked.

"It went great! Rhonda's very nice, and she told me some things about my biological dad that I didn't know before. She even showed us a photo of him with her and Marcia when they were little. Also, my mom told me Tracy's pregnant."

"That's great! Now the twins will have two cousins near their age."

"Hey that's right, they sure will."

Cindy served the meal, and afterwards the three of them cleaned up together. Then Jake went to his bedroom to play video games and Gary and Cindy watched TV in the den for a couple of hours. The twins woke briefly, and Gary played with them before their bath and bedtime.

Later that night, Cindy lay snuggled up to Gary with his arms around her, holding her tight.

"It was the strangest feeling," she told him. "Rhonda talked about my biological dad, and I just felt so profoundly sad about him for the first time in my life. But I've always thought of Mike Brady as my dad, so I felt guilty about feeling sad. Does that make any sense?"

Gary thought for a few minutes. "I think I understand," he said finally. "You were so young when your father died and your mother remarried that you never really mourned for him. Without mourning, you never really had a sense of closure. What you experienced today was like the re-opening of a wound that had never really healed."

"My gosh, Gary, that just makes so much sense. How did you ever get to be so smart?"

"Oh, I've been there a time or two myself." He smiled gently. "There's no reason for you to feel guilty. You haven't been disloyal to Mike Brady in any way. What you feel is perfectly normal."

"Thank you so much, Gary. I really needed to hear that."

"Any time, my dear. I love you bunches and bunches and bunches, you know. Don't you ever forget that."

Cindy giggled. "I won't. Good night, Gary. I love you too."

They kissed and were both soon asleep.


	14. Secrets

"Come on, Jonny, open up so the airplane can fly in," Cindy encouraged her son, who had decided very early on that he definitely didn't like pureed peas.

"Zoom!" Cindy moved the spoon around, imitating an airplane's flight. Jonathan watched with interest but wouldn't open his mouth. Cindy made a funny face and he gave a big grin, opening his mouth just far enough for Cindy to quickly insert the spoonful of peas, which he promptly spat right back out again. Cindy sighed and wiped the mess from the high chair tray.

Just then, Cindy heard a car pull up into the driveway and a door open and shut.

"Guess what! Your big sister's here!" Cindy lifted Jonathan from the high chair, scooped up Rebecca, and went to greet Carly, who had just arrived home for winter break from the university.

Cindy sat the twins in their playpen and went to open the door for Carly, who struggled with a suitcase and a couple of bags.

"Hi, sweetheart! How was your journey?"

"Tiring!" Carly smiled and rolled he eyes as Cindy gave her a quick hug.

"I'll bet," Cindy sympathized, remembering her own college days. "Let me help you with that."

"Becky! Jonny!" Carly sat her bags down to say hello to the twins. "I can't believe how much you've both grown!"

She lifted first Rebecca, who cooed and gurgled, and then Jonathan, who grinned at her.

"I was just finishing their lunch and was about to settle them down for a nap," Cindy said.

"How are Dad and Jake?"

"They're both doing fine. Jake's school lets out for winter break next Friday."

Cindy helped Carly take her suitcase and bags into her bedroom. Carly saw the bed and sprawled out on it.

"Ooh, all I want to do is sleep," she groaned. Carly napped while Cindy took care of the twins, and a couple of hours later, Jake was home from school.

"Hi Cindy, hi Carly." He breezed past both of them on his way to his room.

"Is that all you're going to say to your sister, when you haven't even seen her in four months?" Cindy asked.

"Most beloved sister, I am so deeply honored to be in your presence once again." Jake bowed deeply before Carly.

"Knock it off, Jake." Carly stuck her tongue out at him and giggled.

Cindy laughed and headed for the kitchen. She began to prepare dinner, and after a little while Gary was home from the radio station.

"Hi, sweetie," he said, hugging and kissing Cindy. "Where's my princess?" He had seen Carly's car in the driveway.

"Here I am, Dad!" Carly rushed to greet him, and they hugged and kissed.

"It feels like ages since the last time I saw you! How are things at the university?"

"Great, Dad! All my classes are going well, and guess what! I've met someone!"

"I want to hear all about him over dinner," Gary said.

"His name is Max, and he plays guitar for a band. They perform every weekend at the on-campus club," Carly said proudly.

"How did you meet him?" Cindy asked.

"In the cafeteria at the university. He said that he had seen my in the club before but never got the chance to go over and say hello."

"How did you do on your finals?" Gary wanted to know.

"Whew! Soo glad those are over with." Carly laughed. "I won't know the actual scores until I go back in January, but I think I did pretty good on most of them."

"Most?" Gary asked.

"Well, the math test was pretty tough," Carly admitted. "I think it's dumb that I have to have a math credit anyway, since math has nothing to do with my major."

"Some day you'll be glad you took it," Gary predicted.

"Ha! Not likely."

"You never know," Gary said.

After dinner, Gary helped Cindy with the dishes while Carly went to her bedroom to finish unpacking.

"She looks more like her mother every time I see her." Cindy heard the sadness in Gary's voice and laid a comforting hand on his arm.

That weekend Carly asked to speak to Cindy in private. "I just don't feel comfortable talking to Dad about it," she explained.

"Sure, honey. What's going on?"

Carly looked at her class ring which she was fiddling with. "I wanted to ask you what kind of birth control you think would be best for me," she mumbled.

"Why do you want to know? Are you and Max already having sex?"

Carly shook her head. "No, but he wants to. He said he doesn't like to use condoms. He told me that as long as he pulled out in time I wouldn't get pregnant, but I'm still scared. There's nobody at the university that I feel comfortable talking about this with. I'm not even sure if I'm doing the right thing by talking to you about it. But it's driving me crazy, so I had to ask someone."

Cindy's brain was still reeling. She had been so used to thinking of Carly as a young teenager that is was hard for her to realize how quickly the girl was becoming a woman.

"How do you feel about Max? Do you love him?"

"Well, he's a really great guy, and he's a lot of fun to be with."

"Do you feel that you' re ready to have sex with him?"

Carly shrugged. "Well, I guess so."

"Carly, before you even start worrying about what method of birth control you should use, I think that you should think long and hard about whether or not a sexual relationship with Max is really what you want."

"He's a really great guy, Cindy. I don't want to lose him."

"You could lose him anyway, Carly. Having sex with him isn't the way to hang on to him. Did he threaten to leave you if you wouldn't?"

"Well, no, but I know that there are plenty of girls who would be happy to sleep with him."

"It doesn't sound to me like you want to do this for the right reason."

"What _is _the right reason?"

"The right reason is that you truly love the person and want to express that love, that neither of you is under any kind of pressure or feeling that it's something you have to do or are expected to do."

"Was that the way it was for you?"

"Yes, it was."

"How old were you when you lost your virginity?"

"That's personal, but I was a lot older than eighteen."

"You _were?" _Carly looked at her in disbelief.

"Yes, I was. I know to you it must seem like everyone your age is doing it, but that's not true. Let me tell you something else. If you do wait until the right man and the right situation come along, then when it finally does, you'll be so glad you waited."

Carly looked thoughtful. "I never actually thought of it that way before. Thanks, Cindy."

"Any time, Carly. I'm so glad we had this talk."

"Please promise me you won't say anything about this to Dad. He'd go totally ballistic."

"I'm not sure at all that that would be the case, but I promise I won't say anything about it to him."

Cindy had never in her life felt more as if she were between a rock and a hard place.

* * *

Several days later, Cindy was cleaning in Jake's bedroom when she noticed something sticking out from under his bed. Curious, she knelt to see what it was. It turned out to be a magazine, and Cindy gasped when she saw what kind of magazine it was. Instinctively she pushed it back under the bed, wondering how Jake had acquired it, since he was under eighteen. An older friend must have bought it for him, she reasoned. Jake wouldn't steal.

Cindy puzzled for the rest of that day what to do about it. She knew that if she confronted Jake herself, he would be angry and would accuse her of snooping. She knew that Gary should know about her discovery, since Jake was a minor. She had to find a way to let him know without making either of them upset. She didn't want Gary to think that she had been snooping in his son's room.

"You seem quieter than usual today, Cindy," Gary remarked after dinner. "Is something wrong?"

Cindy sighed. "I don't know how to tell you this, Gary, but...today I was cleaning in Jake's room, and I saw something sticking out from under his bed. It was...a magazine."

Gary looked at her expectantly.

"A pornographic magazine, Gary. With photos of naked men and women doing sexual things."

Gary looked thoughtful. "What did you do with it?"

"I just stuck it back under his bed. I didn't know what else to do."

Gary stood up. "I'll go talk to him."

Cindy grabbed his arm. "Please, Gary, don't tell him that I told you about it. He'll think I was snooping in his room and get mad at me."

"It's not important who found it, or how it was found. What's important is that it's illegal for him to have it in his possession." Gary strode toward Jake's bedroom, and Cindy quickly found something to do in another part of the house.

That night, as they were getting ready for bed, Cindy asked about the outcome of his confrontation with Jake.

"It's all worked out," he assured her.

"Did my name come up?"

"No, it didn't. I told him that it's perfectly normal for him to be curious, but that it isn't legal for someone his age to own that kind of magazine, and so they're not permitted in my house."

"How did he take it?"

"He was terribly embarrassed. I felt really bad for him. I told him that looking at that kind of magazine didn't make him a bad person, but that at his age he needs to concentrate on other things like finishing school, learning to drive, getting ready for college. I told him that there will be plenty of time for all that other stuff later."

"So what happened in the end?"

"In the end he voluntarily gave me the magazine. I could tell that he didn't really want to give it up, but he'll get over it."

"You are so good with your kids," Cindy told him.

"Our kids," he corrected her. "Thank you. I think you're doing a pretty good job as well."

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes, I do." He hugged and kissed her. "You're a wonderful mom, Cyn."

"Thank you," Cindy said shyly, feeling herself blush with pleasure.

Gary looked at her with desire in his eyes. "You're simply irresistible when you do that."


	15. Trial By Fire

**February 1993**

Rebecca started crawling one morning when she was eight months old. Cindy had fed both twins their breakfast and put them on a quilt on the floor to play while she did the dishes. As soon as she put Rebecca down, the little girl got into a crawling position and took off across the quilt.

"My, aren't you a smart girl!" Cindy scooped her daughter up and gave her a big hug.

"Da," Rebecca said happily.

"That's right, we'll have to tell your daddy all about it when he gets home today. Won't he be proud of you! I'll bet your brother will be crawling soon, too."

Several weeks passed, and Jonathan still used primarily just his arms and hands to push himself around. That worried Cindy, and she called the pediatrician, Dr. Weeks.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much at this point," Dr. Weeks assured her. "At this age, girls tend to develop faster than boys do. Also, twins tend to be developmentally delayed in some areas. Let's just give it a few more weeks. If he isn't crawling by his one-year check-up, we'll run some tests on him just to make sure that nothing is seriously wrong."

In May Rebecca started walking. She had been taking steps holding onto furniture for a while, but one day Cindy saw her let go of the sofa and take a couple of steps before falling. She looked up at Cindy and giggled, as if she knew that she had just done something clever.

Cindy was so excited that she called her mother right away.

"Guess what, Mom! Rebecca just took her first step!"

"Oh boy, now you're really going to have to watch her." Carol laughed. "That's great, Cindy. How's everything else going?"

"We're all doing all right. Things are fine at the radio station. Carly's doing well in all her classes, and she'll be home for summer vacation soon. Jake is eager for any excuse to take the car out for a drive, of course. I'm still hesitant about letting him drive the Toyota alone. Gary tells me I worry too much, and maybe he's right. I guess I'm still a little shaken by that fender bender I had a couple of years ago."

"That 'fender bender' did put you in the hospital," Carol reminded her.

"Only overnight," Cindy said. "I _am_ just a little bit worried about Jonathan. He hasn't even started crawling yet. Dr. Weeks wanted to wait until his one-year check-up to do anything about it, but I just have this nagging feeling that there is a problem."

"What does Gary think?"

"He told me that Carly and Jake both crawled when they were about eight or nine months old, and walked when they were about a year old. He told me that he thinks that Jonathan is just a late bloomer, but he looked really worried when he said it, so I think he just said that to keep me from worrying too much about it."

Carol was silent for a long moment. "Well, I guess all we can do is to wait and see what happens," she finally said.

**July 1993**

"All Jonathan's lab results are normal, except for his creatine phosphokinase," Dr. Weeks told Cindy. "Creatine phosphokinase is an enzyme found in muscle tissue. Jonathan's level is elevated, which is seen in muscular dystrophy and some other disorders. I would like to perform a muscle biopsy just to determine what those elevated levels mean."

"You mean surgery?" Cindy felt as if all the wind had been knocked out of her.

"It's a minor procedure, but yes, he must be anesthetized," Dr. Weeks said gently. "The procedure will take about forty-five minutes and can be done as an outpatient procedure. You'll arrive at the hospital at eight o'clock in the morning and go home several hours later."

Cindy held her son close to her body and hoped that she could make it home without breaking down.

That afternoon she went about her normal daily routine mechanically, without really thinking about what she was doing. Jonathan was barely over a year old, and the prospect of him being anesthetized truly frightened her. Cindy herself had only been fully anesthetized twice, for a tonsillectomy at the age of six and an appendectomy in her late teens. Those had both been frightening enough, and both times she had been much older than Jonathan was now.

"So, how did the doctor's appointment go?" Gary asked when he got home that evening.

"Dr. Weeks said that Jonathan's level of an enzyme called creatine phosphokinase is elevated. He will have to do a muscle biopsy to find out what's wrong."

"Oh my God," Gary said softly.

"They're going to put our baby to sleep, Gary." Cindy couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Gary held her and patted her back as she sobbed.

The morning sky was just beginning to change from pinkish-orange to blue on the morning Gary and Cindy arrived at the hospital for Jonathan's surgery. They parked in the parking garage and crossed the breezeway to the hospital, then took the elevator to the surgical floor. Jonathan, oblivious to the day's planned events, slept peacefully in his stroller the entire time.

The air conditioning going full blast in the waiting room made Cindy shiver as they waited to be called, filled out paperwork, and then waited to be called again. Gary paced back and forth as Cindy sat silently watching her son sleep.

Finally, an overly cheerful attendant arrived with a gurney and greeted the family in a voice that was much too loud. Jonathan was awake by now, his brown eyes round with curiosity but no fear. Cindy had taken him from the stroller and held him protectively.

"How are we doing today, young man?" The attendant tried, without success, to get Jonathan to smile. "I have some nice fairy juice for you to drink, and after that, I'm going to take you for a ride in my fancy race car here. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Jonathan eyed him warily from the safety of his mother's arms.

"Open up, sweetie," Cindy gently urged him. She and the attendant were able to get most of the juice into Jonathan, only spilling a little bit of it.

Jonathan was asleep within seconds of drinking the juice containing the sedative, and Cindy gently laid him on the gurney to be taken to surgery. Cindy stroked the top of his soft head and kissed it one last time before the gurney disappeared behind the double doors leading to the operating rooms. She stared after them for a long time afterwards, wondering exactly what was happening to Jonathan at that time.

"This is no good, you know," Gary said to her some time later. "You sitting there looking like a lamb about to be led to slaughter and me pacing back and forth like a caged animal."

Cindy looked up at him bleakly. "What else is there to do but to wait and worry?"

"We can pray." Gary took both her hands in his and pulled her to her feet.

"Oh gosh, Gary, I haven't prayed in so long," Cindy said hesitantly.

"Well, wouldn't right now be the ideal time to get back into the habit?" Gary smiled.

"You are _so_ right." Cindy bowed her head and closed her eyes. "Dear God, please be with Jonathan during surgery and keep your hand of protection over him. And please, dear God, let the results of the biopsy show no serious abnormalities."

Gary said a prayer in Hebrew.

"That was beautiful! What does it mean in English?"

"That was the 'Mi Sheberakh', the prayer for healing. It asks God for complete renewal of body and spirit."

"I think it's so neat that although we belong to different faiths, we still pray to the same God."

"I don't think that our faiths are nearly as different from one another as some people seem to believe they are," Gary said. "Besides, it doesn't matter to God what faith you are. He loves everyone just the same."

"If only everybody could just understand that," Cindy said.

"Perhaps someday they will. I certainly hope so," Gary replied.

Cindy's eyes filled with tears. "I don't know what I'd do without you here with me."

Gary held her and stroked her hair and told her how much he loved her.

Soon the gurney returned to the waiting room, Jonathan still fast asleep upon it.

"He came through the procedure with flying colors," the attendant told them. "He'll probably sleep for most of the day. Make sure the incision site stays warm and dry, and change the bandage daily. Make sure he drinks plenty of fluids. They'll call you with the results as soon as they come in."

Cindy lifted Jonathan and held him close for a few minutes. Then she returned him to his stroller for the journey back to the parking garage. A few minutes later, they were on their way home to await the results of the biopsy.


	16. A New Brady

**August 1993**

"Why, hello there, Cindy and Gary! It's so good to see you again! I can't believe how much the twins have grown!" Tracy Brady, Cindy's sister-in-law, said as she opened the door. Bobby and Tracy's son, Justin Robert Brady, had been born only a few days previously, and Cindy was eager to meet her new nephew.

Cindy pushed the double stroller holding the twins into the house while Gary held the door open for them both.

Bobby looked up from his wheelchair where he held his sleeping son and smiled. Cindy took the twins out of the stroller and folded it and put it away.

"Bobby! How's life treating you these days?" Gary greeted his brother-in-law.

"Pretty good, I guess, considering how sleep deprived I've been lately," Bobby chuckled.

"I can sure relate the that," Gary replied.

"Oh, let me see him!" Cindy rushed over to Bobby, who carefully handed baby Justin to her.

"Oh, aren't you adorable!" Cindy whispered to baby Justin. Justin stirred slightly as she cuddled him. His skin was blotchy, and the top of his head was covered with fine, soft, light brown hair. He was wearing a blue onesie.

"He's our miracle baby," Tracy said. She and Cindy sat on the sofa, and Gary sat in a chair near Bobby's wheelchair. Rebecca toddled over to look at her new cousin. Jonathan, who was wearing his new leg braces, pulled himself up into a standing position, using the sofa for support.

"So, are the results of the muscle biopsy in yet? asked Tracy.

"We just got them. Jonathan doesn't have muscular dystrophy, thank goodness. He has hypotonia in his legs, which means they're just a bit floppier than average. He goes to physical therapy twice a week, and since he started wearing the leg braces, he's finally taken some steps on his own."

"That's great!" Tracy said. "For how long does he have to wear them?"

"We don't know yet. He goes back to the orthopedist every three months." Cindy didn't tell Tracy that there was a possibility that her son could need leg braces for the rest of his life. She just wanted to break down and cry every time she thought about that, so she simply didn't allow herself to think about it.

"So tell me, how are things so far with Justin?" asked Cindy.

"Everything seems fine so far. He weighed seven pounds, thirteen ounces at birth. The pediatrician told us that he appears to be perfectly normal in every way."

Justin squirmed and whimpered. "Looks like he's hungry again," Tracy said. She opened her shirt and began to breast-feed her son. "Wow, look at him go!" she remarked as he latched on and began to suckle eagerly.

Cindy watched Jonathan toddle around the living room, trying to keep up with his sister, and felt the lump in her throat getting bigger and bigger.

Jonathan toddled up to Bobby's wheelchair and stood silently looking up at him.

"Well, hello there, young man," Bobby said with a grin, scooping up Jonathan and sitting him in his lap. Jonathan grinned back at him.

"Know who I am? I'm your Uncle Bobby!"

"Ba ba," Jonathan said.

"That's right, Bob-by. We're pretty special, you and I. You know why? You get around with your leg braces, and I get around with my wheelchair. And I think both of us get around just about as good as anyone else does. And I think that makes both of us pretty special."

Tracy had finished nursing Justin and put him down to sleep in his crib. As she returned to the living room, she noticed Cindy smiling as she watched Bobby and Justin.

"He's so good with Jonathan," Cindy remarked. "I'm sure glad Jonathan has Bobby for an uncle. I think Bobby and Jonathan will probably always be close."

"Oh, I almost forgot! How are Carly and Jake?" Tracy asked.

"They're both fine. Carly's been helping out at the radio station for the summer. She and Jake both spend a lot of time at the beach with their friends. You wouldn't believe how dark they are now! Gary, Carly, and Jake always tan so beautifully, while I turn red as a lobster."

"You have a beautiful tan now, hon," Gary said.

"I paid a price for it, though. Peeled like a snake for ages." Gary laughed, and Cindy threw a sofa pillow at him, which he ducked.

"How are things at the radio station?" Bobby asked Gary.

"Crazy! Would you believe some fellow from Jews for Jesus came in wanting to buy commercial air time? I told him to try the Christian radio station down the street. Even gave him detailed directions. Nice of me, huh?"

"You sent advertising income to the competition?"

"They're not competition. They appeal to a totally different type of consumer. That new progressive rock station, now _that's _competition. They play Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Blind Melon, Spin Doctors, Gin Blossoms, Red Hot Chili Peppers, groups like that."

"We really need to think about updating our format, hon," he told Cindy, who nodded.

"How are your studies going?" Gary asked Bobby. After he had finished physical therapy, Bobby had enrolled in college. He wanted to become a counselor to help people like himself who had suffered a life-changing injury.

"Going well, I got another 'A'."

"Glad to hear it."

"How's the catering business going?" Cindy asked Tracy. Tracy still ran a catering business with Marcia and Greg's wife Nora.

"We had a lot of graduation parties and weddings back in June. It's fallen off somewhat now, but we're hoping things will pick back up again as the holiday season gets closer. Of course there's always a slow but steady stream of bar and bat mitzvahs at the synagogue, thanks to Gary."

"Hey, glad to help." Gary grinned at his sister-in-law.

Gary and Cindy visited for a while longer, until the twins started getting cranky.

"Thank you both so much for visiting. Come again soon," Tracy said as Gary and Cindy prepared to leave.

"It was a pleasure," Cindy told her. "Now that we're all grown up, we don't see nearly enough of each other."

"That's really a shame," Bobby said.

"I think we should make a conscious effort to get together more often from now on," Cindy suggested.

"That's an excellent idea, although life does tend to get in the way," Gary said. "I don't see nearly as much of my own family as I'd like to."

Tracy helped Cindy maneuver the double stroller out the door. "You folks take care," she said.

"You too, and I hope that everything continues to go well with your precious new little one," Cindy said as they walked to the car.

"I feel so much better about Jonathan's situation after being around Bobby," Cindy told Gary on the way home.

"I'm so glad to hear that," Gary said. "It's been difficult for both of us, I know, but at least I have my job to distract me. I know it's been harder for you, since you're primarily the one who takes care of him and takes him to doctor appointments and physical therapy."

"After seeing Bobby and realizing how far he's come since his accident, I have so much more hope for Jonathan's future as well," Cindy said.

"So do I," Gary agreed.


	17. A Very Greenberg Thanksgiving

**November 1993**

Do you think that your parents would mind another guest for Thanksgiving dinner this year, Cyn?" asked Gary. "I just got off the phone with my brother, Jason. Debbie's left him. She took Joel and Micah and went to stay with her family in Brooklyn, New York. He's feeling really down right now. I think that the company would do him good."

"Oh, Gary, that's terrible." Cindy was shocked. "I'll run it past my mom, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

"Of course! Jason's perfectly welcome to join us for Thanksgiving dinner. Peter's new girlfriend will be joining us too. Her name's Wendy, and she has a three-year-old son named Dylan," Carol told Cindy later.

"Well, the more the merrier," Cindy said cheerfully.

"Absolutely," Carol agreed.

"It's so kind of your family to have me over," Jason told Cindy when they arrived to pick him up on Thanksgiving day.

"Oh, that's all right," Cindy told him. "We're all just so sorry about what happened."

Mike and Carol's house was buzzing with activity. All the children and grandchildren were there, with the exception of Carly, who still had a couple of weeks left of her fall term at the university.

"How's Carly enjoying her sophomore year?" Carol asked.

"She's doing fine, Still getting good grades," Cindy told her.

"Is she still with the same boy? Max, was that his name?"

"No, Max was trying to pressure her into some things that she wasn't ready for. She's dating a boy named Ben Levin now."

"My grandmother likes him," added Jake, as if that were the deciding factor.

"You're old enough to drive now, aren't you?" Jessica asked Jake.

"Yes, I am," Jake replied proudly.

"Will you take me for a ride sometime?" Jessica batted her eyelashes at him.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Jake blushed slightly.

"Our little girl sure is growing up fast, isn't she?" Wally guffawed. Marcia glared at him.

"How's Kevin doing in school?" Carol asked Nora.

"He's doing very well. He got all A's on his report card again."

"Very good, Kevin!" Carol beamed at her grandson.

"Thank you," Kevin said shyly.

"Is Patty still enjoying the gifted program?" Carol asked Jan.

"Yes, she is. She's learing how to work with computers right now," Jan said. "No, no, mustn't touch," she told Peyton, pulling her away from a fragile whatnot.

"Oh, that's my fault. I forgot to put that one away," Carol said, hurriedly snatching the whatnot from the table it rested on.

"Cindy, this is my girlfriend Wendy," Peter said by way of introduction.

"It's very nice to meet you," Cindy told her.

"Nice to meet you too, Cindy."

"How long have you been dating Peter?"

"A couple of months. We met through a friend. Say hello," she encouraged Dylan, who had just been offered a toy by Rebecca.

"He's so cute," Cindy said.

"Thank you! So, what's it like to have twins? I can't even imagine having two of him." Wendy laughed.

"It can be exhausting at times," Cindy agreed. "It's worth it, though."

"There's my little buddy!" Bobby exclaimed when he saw Jonathan.

"Ba ba!" Jonathan said happily, toddling up to him.

"That's right!" Bobby scooped him up and sat him in his lap.

"Justin looks like he's really grown," Carol told Tracy.

"I just started him on cereal," Tracy replied. "He sleeps through the night much better now."

"I'm sure you both sleep a lot better now too."

"Oh, yes." Tracy laughed.

Cindy helped her mother and sisters set the table, and everyone sat down to eat.

"So, what line of work are you in, Jason?" Mike asked.

"Civil law. Contract negotiations, mostly."

"Are you local?"

"Yes, and I also have a couple of branch offices in adjourning counties."

"Which one of you is the oldest, you or Uncle Gary?" asked Kevin.

"I'm two years older than your Uncle Gary," Jason told him.

"I didn't know Jews even celebrated Thanksgiving. I thought you had some other holiday instead," Jessica told Gary, who thought that her remark was very funny, as did Jason.

"Of course we do! Thanksgiving is a national holiday, not a religious one," Gary told her.

"Oh, I didn't know there was a difference," Jessica said.

"Your ancestors didn't come over on the Mayflower though, did they?" asked Mickey. "I thought they came from Russia."

"Thanksgiving is for all Americans, no matter where their ancestors came from," Carol told her grandson.

After the meal ended, the women cleaned up, the men watched TV in the living room, the older kids played video games, and the younger kids and babies took naps.

"I wish Jessica would quit following me around and bugging me," Jake complained on the way home.

"I think she likes you," Cindy said in a singsong voice.

"I'm her _cousin, _for crying out loud!"

"Only by marriage. I guess to her that makes it okay."

"Well, I think she should find someone closer to her own age to like," Jake muttered.

"That's one thing that definitely needs to be nipped in the bud," Gary said to Cindy later, when they were alone.

"I can kind of understand how it could happen," Cindy replied. "I remember having a huge crush on Greg for the longest time when we were kids."

"No, you're kidding!"

"No, I'm not. You know I was already six years old when my mom married his dad. I thought he was simply the most wonderful thing in the world at first. I really idolized him."

"How did Greg feel about that?"

"I don't think he even realized it. I don't think anyone ever did. You're the first person I've ever even told about it."

Gary's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Really?"

"Really!"

"Well, I just don't want Wally and Marcia to think that Jake's encouraging it, because I know he isn't." Gary's mind was back on the situation with Jake and Jessica.

"Oh, they know that. You worry too much, Gary." Cindy came up behind him and began to massage his shoulders.

"Ah, you can do that for as long as you like," he said appreciatively, closing his eyes and leaning back against her.

The next morning Cindy lay in Gary's arms in bed, talking.

"Wendy seems like such a nice girl. I really hope it works out for Peter this time.'

"Mm hm." Gary gently ran his fingers up and down Cindy's back, which she loved.

"She seems so much more mature and responsible than Valerie was. It can't be easy for her, raising a child all on her own like that."

"I don't remember Valerie. How long ago was she?"

"Four years ago."

"Well, no wonder, then." He laughed softly and lightly kissed the top of her head.

"Listen, Cyn, I have to tell you something. I didn't tell you the whole story regarding Jason. The reason Debbie took the kids and left him was that he's involved with a woman named Vicky."

Cindy sat straight up in bed. "What?"

"He feels terrible about what's happened, Cindy. He told me that he didn't plan for it to happen at all. It just did. I think he's just having a midlife crisis and will end up getting back together with Debbie. At least, I hope that's what will happen."

"Why didn't you tell me all of this at the beginning?"

"I was afraid that if your parents knew the whole story then he wouldn't be welcome there for Thanksgiving dinner."

"So you deliberately portrayed Jason as the 'poor, innocent victim' so that my family and I would feel sorry for him and be nice to him." Cindy couldn't keep the anger out of her voice.

"Please, Cyn, he came to me because he didn't have anyone else to turn to. He thought that I would understand. Vicky's a legal assistant in her mid twenties whom he hired a few months ago. He had a great rapport with her, and they had a terrific working relationship, and before he knew it the relationship had advanced to the next level. Very similar to the way things happened for us, if you think about it."

"It's entirely different from the way things happened for us, and you know it is! I never broke up a marriage!"

"I know you didn't, Cindy."

"Do you have any idea how stupid I feel right now? How stupid the rest of my family is gonna feel?"

"I'm so sorry, Cindy. I know it was wrong for me not to tell you the whole story in the beginning."

"It's a little late to say you're sorry now, don't you think?"

"Please, Cyn..."

"Just leave me alone, Gary. I don't really feel like talking to you right now." Cindy stormed out of the bedroom and slammed the door, leaving Gary staring helplessly after her.


	18. Chicken Soup Cures Everything

Gary found Cindy in the kitchen preparing breakfast. He came up behind her and put his arms around her. "Please, honey, don't be mad."

"And why shouldn't I be mad?" She wouldn't turn around and look at him.

"I didn't mean to do anything to hurt you or your family. I was only trying to help my brother. If it had been one of your brothers, wouldn't you have done the same thing?"

"My brothers all have too much integrity to have an adulterous affair!"

Gary winced. "I'm not excusing what he's doing, Cindy, but anyone can make a mistake. What about when Marcia had her drinking problem?"

"That's a whole different story! Marcia realized that she needed help and got it! She's been sober for almost four years now!"

"I really believe that Jason will come to his senses soon too. Like I said, I think this is just a stage he's going through, getting panicky about getting older and needing someone to make him feel young again."

"But he's hurting three innocent people in the process! Debbie's been betrayed, and Joel and Micah have had their whole world turned upside down!"

Realizing that Cindy was still too upset to have a rational conversation, Gary silently walked out of the kitchen.

While feeding and dressing the twins, it occurred to Cindy that perhaps she had over-reacted a bit to what Gary had done. After all, his actions had been primarily motivated by concern for his brother, which Cindy could definitely relate to. If the situation had been reversed, would she have done the same thing? She couldn't say for certain that she wouldn't have.

Cindy heard the razor and knew that Gary was in the bathroom shaving. A few minutes later he came into the nursery to say good morning to his children.

"Da da!" cried little Jonathan, lifting his arms to his father. Gary picked him up and hugged him. "Good morning, little guy!" he said. Cindy, who was brushing Rebecca's hair, smiled. Gary looked at her tenderly.

"Black Friday, isn't it? Busiest shopping day out of the entire year! So, are we headed out to join the throngs?"

"Maybe we could just relax around the house today, Gary. I'm not really feeling well." As if the emphasize her point, Cindy sneezed. "Perhaps I could start putting up the decorations today, starting with a giant sprig of mistletoe right over our bedroom doorway." She grinned impishly, and Gary knew that he was forgiven.

"Aw, who needs mistletoe?" Gary embraced his wife and started to kiss her, but she pulled away.

"Careful! I don't want you to catch what I'm coming down with."

Gary frowned with concern and felt Cindy's forehead. "You do feel warm, hon. Maybe you should just stay in and get some rest today."

Cindy took some Tylenol and an antihistamine, and as the morning progressed, she did feel better. She unpacked holiday decorations and made green pea soup and corned beef sandwiches for lunch. For the twins, she made grilled cheese sandwiches, which she cut into fourths and served along with applesauce. After lunch Gary and Cindy went to the park and pushed the twins in swings and let them go down the slide.

After they returned home, Cindy started feeling bad again and went back to bed. She was asleep almost immediately, and when she awoke a couple of hours later, she was amazed to see how late it was.

"Oh my gosh, I need to start dinner," she said to herself, but when she tried to stand, a wave of dizziness washed over her. "Maybe I'll be all right if I just rest for a few more minutes," she told herself.

A few minutes later Gary was there. "Feeling any better, sweetie?" he asked.

"I just tried to stand up and got so dizzy," Cindy told him. "I'm gonna start dinner soon. Just let me rest for a few more minutes."

"Rest as long as you want, Cindy. Dinner's already been taken care of, and I made you something special. Wait here and I'll bring it." Gary left and returned with a steaming pot, which he placed on a TV tray near the bed.

"Gosh, Gary, that smells delicious!" Cindy realized that she was hungrier than she had thought she had been.

"It's an old family recipe, passed down through several generations," Gary said proudly. "My mom taught me how to make chicken soup, and she learned from the best, my Bubbe Golda. Chicken soup cures everything, Bubbe Golda always used to say."

"It smells like the most wonderful soup in the world," Cindy said.

"Just wait until you taste it," Gary told her, preparing to feed her a spoonful.

"Gary, this is out of this world!" Cindy proclaimed, after tasting a spoonful and feeling the soothing hot liquid go down her sore throat. "You never told me you could cook like this!"

Gary grinned. "As you know, I was a single father for several years. The kids and I got awfully tired of TV dinners all the time after awhile."

After Cindy had finished the soup, Gary cleaned up in the kitchen, bathed the twins, and settled them down for the night. Then he went back to the bedroom and asked Cindy if she felt like watching a movie with him.

"Sure, what movie?"

"How about 'Sleepless In Seattle'? It's very special to me, for obvious reasons."

"Sounds perfect!"

Gary and Cindy cuddled up in bed together and watched 'Sleepless In Seattle', and afterwards Cindy went to sleep with her back against Gary's chest and his arms around her holding her tight.

* * *

The day Gary and Cindy took Jonathan and Rebecca to the mall to sit on Santa's lap just happened to be one of the eight days of Hanukkah.

"They're gonna grow up confused, going to visit Santa at the mall and then coming home to light a candle on a menorah," Jake commented.

"I don't think that's the case at all," Gary told him. "We want them to grow up to take pride in both their heritages."

"I grew up with only one heritage and I turned out just fine." Jake chuckled.

"So you don't want to sit in Santa's lap now to make up for all the times you didn't when you were a little kid?" Gary teased him.

"No way!"

"I didn't think so." Gary and Cindy laughed heartily as Jake stalked indignantly to his room. Just then the doorbell rang. Gary opened the door. Jason stood there with an attractive blonde of about Cindy's age. She wore a low-cut blouse that revealed her cleavage and tight-fitting jeans, and her face was heavily made up. Cindy stared enviously at the woman's voluptuous figure. _It's pretty obvious what Jason sees in her, _she thought glumly.

"I hope we're not interrupting anything," Jason said. "We were in the neighborhood anyway, and Vicky just wanted to meet you guys."

_You wanted to show off Vicky, you mean, _Cindy thought to herself.

"Not at all. Please, come in," Gary told them.

"Wow, looks like a great place you have here!" Vicky said. She was chewing gum and popped it loudly as she flounced to the sofa and sat down.

"Thank you," said Cindy, as Jonathan tried to hide behind her and Rebecca walked right up to Vicky and grinned. "Hello," she said.

"Hi there! Aren't you a cutie!" Vicky said to Rebecca.

"Please, sit down. Would you like something to drink?" Gary asked.

"Oh, no, we're fine. We can't stay long anyway," Jason said.

"Your kids are so cute! How old are they?" Vicky asked.

"Almost eighteen months," Cindy told her. "Do you have any children?"

"Heavens, no!" Vicky laughed loudly.

Gary and Jason talked briefly about current events, and then Jason said they had to be going.

"It was great to meet you guys! We'll have to get together again soon!" Vicky crowed loudly. Cindy was relieved to see them go.

"Thanks for being polite to them," Gary said later to Cindy, when they were both in the bedroom."I know how you feel about the situation. To be honest, I don't know what he sees in her. Love can be blind, I guess."

"What did you see in me when we first met, Gary?"

"Well, besides the fact that you were drop dead gorgeous, and still are, of course, you just seemed to have this sweet innocence about you, a wholesome quality that's rare these days, and that just totally won me over. I didn't know how to tell you for the longest time."

"For the longest time I thought you were still married because of that photo of Jackie on your desk."

"Yeah, I know. That's something that was even harder for me to talk about." Gary came to her and put his arms around her. "Meeting a woman like Vicky just makes me appreciate you all the more, Cyn."

Cindy clung to him and buried her face in his shoulder. "I can't begin to tell you how much it means to hear you say that, Gary," she told him.


	19. Piece Of Cake

**February 1994**

Cindy had cooked Gary's favorite dish, lasagna, for dinner. She had made a Ceasar salad and bread sticks to go with it, and for dessert she had made his favorite, strawberry shortcake.

Jonathan was tired from an invigorating session of physical therapy, so she carried him on one hip while she prepared dinner. Rebecca busily sped around the house on her Disney princess ride-on toy. Jake was on the phone with Brandy, his current girlfriend.

Cindy heard the key turn in the lock, and Rebecca immediately got off her ride-on toy and danced around shouting "Daddy!" A couple of minutes later, Gary entered the house holding one hand behind his back. Cindy tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and went to meet him.

When Gary saw her, he revealed the heart-shaped box of chocolates he had been hiding behind his back. "Happy Valentine's Day, honey," he said.

"Oh, Gary, you're so sweet!" Cindy hugged him with her free arm and kissed his cheek.

"Daddy!" Jonathan exclaimed, grinning.

"Hi there, Jonny! How did PT go today?"

"It went really well, but he's all tuckered out," Cindy said.

"Aww." Gary ruffled his son's hair playfully. "Hey, is that lasagna I smell?" He took Jonathan from Cindy so that she could set the table.

"So, how was your day?" Cindy asked, when they were seated.

"It was all right. Busy, as usual." Gary helped himself to a heaping spoonful of steaming lasagna. "By the way, the saga of Jason and Vicky has ended. She just left him for a pilot."

"Just desserts," Cindy said under her breath.

"What was that?"

"I said, that must hurt."

"I'm sure it does, but he kind of had it coming, didn't he? Although of course I could never have told him that."

Cindy chuckled.

"What's funny?"

'Oh, nothing. That must be terribly awkward for them, still having to work together."

"Oh, she's not with the law firm anymore. She's in training to be an airline attendant now."

"That seems awfully flighty of her, doesn't it?" Half a second later, Cindy realized what she had just said and burst out laughing. Gary joined in.

"Well, now Debbie can come back, can't she?"

"I don't think so. Jason wants her to, but I think she's planning to stay in Brooklyn. She has a job there now, and she's enrolled Joel and Micah in school there."

"How sad."

"Yeah. He misses his kids, Cyn." _He should have thought about that before having an affair with Vicky, _Cindy wanted to say, but didn't.

After the meal was over, Gary put his arms around Cindy and embraced her tightly. Cindy sighed with contentment and rested her head on his shoulder.

"That was a wonderful dinner, honey. Thank you so much." He kissed her lips tenderly, and the garlic on his breath didn't bother her at all.

"Why, you're very welcome, Gary." Cindy was surprised but delighted. "I enjoy doing things to make you happy."

"I really appreciate everything about you, Cyn. I'm just afraid I don't tell you often enough."

Cindy could tell that Jason's ordeal weighed heavily on Gary's mind, and she clung to him for a few minutes longer before reluctantly pulling away. "I need to start the dishes," she said softly.

"Oh, no, don't worry about that. I'll take care of them. You sit down and relax and enjoy your Valentine's Day present."

Cindy laughed. "You're the most wonderful husband in the world, Gary."

Gary grinned. "Thanks. I'm so glad you think so."

* * *

Later that evening, the phone rang, and to Cindy's surprise, it was her brother Peter.

"Hey, Pete! What's up?" she greeted him.

"Well, I seem to have this problem which I was hoping that you could relate to. It's Wendy's little boy, Dylan. Lately he seems, well, very possesive of his mother. Any time she wants to go out and leave him with a sitter, he throws a tantrum. She's had to resort to sneaking out while the sitter keeps him distracted. Also, when we're together and Dylan's with us, he constantly wants to be the center of attention. If we're talking together, he interrupts all the time, and any time we try to show each other physical affection, he physically comes between us. I've tried to be patient and understanding, but I feel like I've had just about as much of it as I can take. I really care for Wendy, but I'm beginning to wonder if it was a mistake to get involved with someone who has a child."

"I thought that talking with you might be helpful, since I know that you had some trouble winning Jake and Carly over in the beginning. How would you suggest I deal with it?"

Cindy was flattered that Peter had turned to her for advice, and she really wanted to help her brother, although she wasn't sure how much her own experience would benefit him, since Dylan was so much younger now than Jake and Carly had been when she had started dating Gary.

"Well, what I did was to try to relate to them on their own level. For example, I knew the kind of music Carly liked, so I loaned her a bunch of my CD's. I even took her to a New Kids On The Block concert, just the two of us, for some female bonding. I think that, more than anything else, really brought us closer. Jake was a little more of a challenge, but I knew that he was really interested in Major League baseball, so I learned all I could about the teams and the players and their ERAs so that I could talk about those things with him."

Peter laughed. "Well, Dylan is really into Shining Time Station. He has all the trains, knows each of their names, and everything. Thomas the Tank Engine is his favorite. Maybe I should check into that some more. Thanks for the suggestions, Cindy."

"No problem at all. Good luck."

"Peter just called me to ask for advice about dating someone with kids," Cindy told Gary later.

"Let me guess. You told him it was a piece of cake, right?"

Cindy burst out laughing. "Oh, you're so funny," she said.


	20. Comforting A Friend

In April, the Bradys received some sad news. Sam, the husband of Alice, who had been the Brady's housekeeper for many years, died suddenly of a heart attack early one morning. Carol called Cindy with the news.

"Oh, poor Alice," Cindy sympathized.

"I don't remember ever meeting Alice," Gary remarked when she mentioned it to him later.

"I know you met her at least once," Cindy replied. "Do you remember the time I was considering taking a job at another radio station? You were so angry when I told you about it."

"I was so afraid that I was about to lose you for good."

"I would have still stayed in touch with you even if I had accepted the position at the other radio station, Gary."

"Please, Cyn, let's not talk about it anymore," Gary said softly, taking her hands and looking pleadingly into her eyes. Cindy smiled warmly at him.

"Well, anyway, I remember Alice was there when that happened. I think she helped me to realize my true feelings for you even before I was aware of them myself."

"Well, in that case, I owe Alice, big time," Gary said with a smile.

* * *

All of the adult members of the Brady family were at Sam's visitation. Alice sat alone looking devastated.

"Oh, Alice, I'm so sorry," Cindy said, embracing her.

"I just can't believe he's gone forever," Alice said. "He left me once before, but he came back that time. This time, he never will. I know in my heart that's true, but it's just so hard to make myself accept it."

"I wish I knew the right words to say, but I don't," Cindy said helplessly.

"If it's all right, Alice, there's something I'd like to share with you," Gary said hesitantly. "It's a passage of scripture that Rabbi Schwartz shared with me after I lost my first wife. It gave me a lot of comfort at the time."

Alice looked surprised. "Well, of course, by all means."

"Psalm 73 was written by a man named Asaph, who was deeply troubled by the unfairness of life, why bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. He turned to God and found comfort. I love the whole chapter, but to me, verses 21-24 are especially beautiful. 'When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you. You hold me by my right hand, you guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.'"

Alice began to cry as she listened to Gary's words. "Thank you so very much, Gary. That was just beautiful. I went to church the whole time I was a child and never even realized that that was in the Bible."

"I'm so glad I was able to help," Gary replied.

"You should have become a rabbi yourself, Gary," Cindy told him.

"Then I never would have met you," Gary pointed out.

Cindy noticed that Wendy had come to the visitation with Peter and wanted to ask how things were going with Dylan, but she realized that it wasn't the appropriate time to ask.

Gary was quiet for the rest of the afternoon. He paced around the house picking up framed photos and setting them back down again. Cindy knew that when he did that, his mind was on Jackie and he needed some emotional space. Feeling both slightly hurt and guilty about feeling slightly hurt, Cindy took the twins to the park alone.

When Cindy returned, Gary had dinner ready, which surprised and delighted her. After dinner they cleaned up together and got the twins settled down. Then they sat together silently watching TV for a couple of hours.

"You do realize that you're not allowed to die before me," Gary said finally. "There's no way in the world I could ever go through that again."

"Oh, don't worry," Cindy laughed. "I'm gonna be around so long you'll get tired of me."

"You know I'd never get tired of you, Cindy."

He held her tightly all night long.

* * *

**May 1994**

When Carly came home for summer break, she brought her boyfriend, Ben Levin, with her. "His family lives only half a day's drive away from here, so we're splitting the summer between the two families," she explained.

"I hope you're still planning on helping out at the radio station again," Gary said. "We could sure use the help, especially with Cindy having to take so much time off for Jonathan's PT appointments."

"Perhaps in your spare time, you could even help potty train your brother and sister," Cindy suggested.

Carly laughed. "No, thanks. I'd much rather help out at the radio station."

She suddenly looked serious. "That was just horrible about Kurt Cobain, wasn't it? I was absolutely devastated! Nirvana is..._was_...one of my favorite groups." She looked almost as if she might cry.

"It brought back memories of how I felt when John Lennon died," Gary agreed. "You were just a little girl then, Carly. I played nothing but Beatles and John Lennon songs all day long that day."

"I remember it too. It was just before Christmas my senior year in high school," Cindy added.

"You know what a huge Beatles fan I've always been, Cindy," Gary said. "My favorite bar mitzvah present was a ticket to see them on the Ed Sullivan show. My Uncle Sid gave it to me." Gary's family had lived in New York when he had been a young teenager.

"Oh, I'm so jealous," Cindy moaned.

"You were all of what, about six months old?" Gary laughed, and everyone else joined in.

Ben stood politely listening to the family's happy banter. He was tall, with straight medium-brown hair and hazel eyes.

"What are you majoring in?" Cindy asked him.

"Political science. I'll be a senior next year."

"What do you parents do?" Gary asked.

"They own a pharmaceutical company."

"How many brothers and sisters do you have?" asked Jake.

"I have two younger sisters, one in high school and one in middle school."

Rebecca jumped around excitedly shouting "Carly! Carly!" Little Jonathan tried his best to keep up with her. Ben watched them with interest.

"Your little brother and sister sure are cute," he told Carly.

"Thank you."

Cindy went with Carly to her bedroom to help her unpack. Ben had volunteered to sleep on the sofa and keep his belongings in Carly's room.

"Actually, he'd much prefer to stay in here with me, but he's terrified of what Dad would say to that," Carly admitted to Cindy.

Cindy didn't quite know what to say. She knew that although Ben and Cindy were both adults, Gary was understandably very protective of his daughter.

"Let me tell you something, Cindy." Carly sat on the bed and looked into Cindy's eyes. "Do you remember that conversation we had about a year and a half ago about waiting until the right one comes along? You told me that it I did that, then when the right one did come along, I would be so glad I had waited for him."

"Well, I just wanted to say thanks for telling me that, Cindy, because you were absolutely right."

Cindy smiled and gave Carly a big hug. "I'm so happy you took my advice, Carly."

"So am I."

"Would you like for me to speak to your father about allowing Ben to stay in your bedroom with you?"

Carly's eyes opened wide in surprise. "You'd do that for me? Really?"

"You're an adult now, Carly, old enough to make your own decisions. Your father and I both respect that."

"Oh, thank you, Cindy!" Carly, looking immensely relieved, gave Cindy a big hug.

Cindy waited patiently for what she thought would be just the right time to bring up the subject with Gary. She wasn't sure how he would react, and she knew that he might become angry, which made her feel very hesitant. In the end she just blurted it out.

"Gary, Carly would like for Ben to stay in her room with her while she's visiting us."

Gary looked taken aback, but only for a minute or two. "Well, all right. Sure. Why not?" He grinned.

"Really, that would be okay with you?" Cindy felt relieved for both her own sake and Carly's.

"Well, of course. She's an adult." He laughed. "Did I ever tell you that my first time was when I was only fifteen?"

Cindy just stared at him in shock.

"Her name was Sarah Geller, and she was a couple of years older than me. My brother's age, actually. She sat right in front of him all the way through school. I was flunking math, and she volunteered to tutor me. Well, she didn't teach me much math, but she did teach me a lot of other things. You should have seen how upset my parents were when they found out." Gary chuckled at the memory.

"I don't blame them one bit. I don't think that's anything to brag about at all, Gary." Cindy's face felt hot, and she had a giant lump in her throat.

"I wasn't bragging. I was only telling you." Gary noticed the look on his wife's face. "Hey, you're not jealous, are you? Geez, Cyn, that was thirty years ago, and I haven't even seen her since then!"

Cindy shook her head but felt tears springing to her eyes.

"Oh, hey." Gary embraced her tenderly. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Oh, no, it's all right. Silly me." Cindy laughed shakily, struggling to get the image of Gary with Sarah Geller out of her head, wondering why it troubled her so much and whether she was going crazy.

Gary pulled a fake pout, and Cindy giggled in spite of herself. Then he gently lifted her chin and gazed tenderly into her eyes. "I love you, Cindy. I'll never want any other woman but you."

"I know that, Gary. I love you too." Suddenly she thought of something. "Hey, I've got an idea. How about if we pretend I'm Sarah Geller and you're fifteen again?"

Gary looked at her in surprise and then burst out laughing. "Are you trying to turn me on?"

"Maybe." She smiled mysteriously at him.

"Come here, you." He grinned and pulled her into his arms. "I'm ready for my first lesson..."


	21. Summertime

Peter and Wendy were married in June. They had planned to announce their engagement in April, but then Sam had died, so the announcement had been postponed.

Following Gary and Cindy's example, Peter and Wendy had chosen to hold their ceremony on the beach. They hired a notary public to perform the ceremony and wrote their own vows.

After the ceremony, Gary, Cindy, Ben, Carly, Jake, and the twins all walked to the shoreline to watch the waves come in and look for seashells. Ben and Carly helped the twins build a sand castle.

A young couple of about Ben and Carly's age sat on a towel nearby watching.

"Your kids sure are cute," the girl said to Carly.

"Actually, they're my brother and sister." Carly giggled. "And that's my dad and my stepmom."

"Oh, I see." The girl glanced at Gary and Cindy. "My name's Amy, and this is Chris," she offered by way of introduction.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Carly, and this is Ben," Carly replied.

"Nice earrings," Amy commented. Carly was wearing her Star of David earrings.

"Thank you."

They exchanged several more pleasantries, and then Amy dropped a bombshell.

"Hey listen, we'd love to have you visit our church sometime, Carly. We go to the Spoken Word Baptist Church downtown on Main Street, and we have an excellent program for young adults, and a great preschool program for the little ones as well."

"Uh...no, thank you," Carly said.

"Well...I'd really like for you to have this booklet. It has the church's name and address on it in case you change your mind."

"No thanks. I'm not gonna change my mind."

Amy looked affronted. "You people are all the same, stubborn as mules. Come on, Chris." They moved further down the beach.

"I'm not 'you people.' I have a name." Carly was so angry that she was near tears.

Cindy, who had witnessed the entire transaction, walked over to Carly and put her arm around her. "I'm gonna get myself a pair of earrings just like yours and wear them everywhere I go," she said hotly.

"It's all right, Cyn." Gary looked at her sadly. "We're used to it. When I was six years old, this kid kicked me in the shin and said he hated me because I killed Jesus."

"How awful! What did you do?"

"I told him I didn't even know who Jesus was. Then I pushed him down."

"What happened then?"

"I got sent to the principal's office for fighting."

"Did the other kid get sent to the principal's office too?"

"No, just me."

"But that wasn't fair! He started it! You were just defending yourself!" Cindy was really upset.

Gary laughed. "Hey, calm down, Cyn. I know it wasn't fair. I've had to deal with unfairness my entire life. You get used to it, but that doesn't mean you give up and stop fighting it."

* * *

Gary's nephews Joel and Micah arrived from Brooklyn to spend the summer with their father, Jason. Jake went to the beach with them often.

"They don't like living in New York." Jake told Gary and Cindy. "They like Coney Island and Brighton Beach, but that's all. They say it gets way too cold in the winter. Aunt Debbie has a new boyfriend too. His name's Saul, and Joel and Micah can't stand him. They say Aunt Debbie always acts silly when she's around him. They want their parents to get back together and to move back here."

"Poor kids. Their father was the one who made the decision, and the innocent children are the ones who suffer the consequences," Cindy said.

"Unfortunately, that's usually the case when there's a divorce," Gary said. "It would be nice if Debbie could forgive Jason and come back to him, but I can certainly understand how she'd have a hard time trusting him again after what's happened."

"So is the divorce final now?"

"It's in the last stages. You ought to see how much child support Jason's gonna have to pay. It'd make your eyes pop."

"I believe it."

"Hey Dad, remember how jealous I used to be of Joel and Micah because they got to go to private school and take vacations to really cool places all over the world?" Jake asked.

"Yep."

"Well, they have to go to public school now. Aunt Debbie can't afford private school in Brooklyn. They say the kids are really tough and there are a lot of bullies."

"Private school _is _very expensive, Jake."

"Yeah." Jake looked thoughtful. "I used to be jealous of them, but I'm not anymore."

"Well, Jake, there are more important things in life than private schools and expensive vacations. I hope you realize that now."

"Yeah. Well, I'm heading over to Ryan's."

"I would love to take you to Coney Island and Brighton Beach and show you the area where I grew up," Gary told Cindy, after Jake had left. "You'd love it, Cindy. It's so different from Disneyland."

"I've been to Disneyland so many times that anything else would be a welcome change." Cindy rolled her eyes and laughed. "Maybe we can do that when the twins are a little bit older."

Rebecca and Jonathan had just celebrated their second birthday and were becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with. Jonathan still wore leg braces but was doing very well in physical therapy. Gary picked him up and sat him in his lap.

"How about that, Jonny? How'd you like to see where I lived when I was a little boy like you?"

"Twain," Jonathan said, showing Gary the toy he had been playing with.

"That's right, train." Gary smiled at his son and kissed him on the top of the head.

* * *

For Gary and Cindy's fourth anniversary, Mike and Carol babysat the twins while Gary and Cindy went out to dinner and then dancing.

"I guess I do all right for an old guy, huh?" Gary said after they were finished dancing.

"Aww, you're not an old guy. I'm really glad we went dancing. It's been so long since we've done that. Also, it reminds me how badly I need to get back in shape." Cindy chuckled.

"Me too. My muscles are really going to be protesting tomorrow, but I think it was well worth it. I had a really nice time with you tonight, Cindy."

"Oh, I had a great time too, Gary. I felt like a teenager again."

"Well, after the stress we've been through lately, I think we both deserved a night like tonight."

"I love it when I can just be with you and have fun and not have to worry about anything. I felt almost like we were dating again." Although it was very late, Cindy didn't feel a bit tired.

"Me too! It was almost like falling in love with you all over again."

Gary and Cindy hugged and kissed and then went to pick up their children.


	22. Uncle Mordecai

**October 1994**

"My Uncle Mordecai had a stroke today," Gary told Cindy one evening when he got home from the radio station. "He's in the ICU. They don't know how long he's going to be there. They're only letting immediate family members in to see him now."

"I don't think you ever told me about him."

"He's my mom's younger brother. His name used to be Marvin, but when he moved to Israel he changed it to Mordecai. He lived in Israel for twenty years, and then when my Aunt Miriam died several years ago, he moved back to the states."

"Mordecai...wasn't that the name of the good guy in the Purim story?"

"I see you were paying attention."

"Yeah, I remember hearing that part amidst all the blottings of Haman's name. Besides, I learned that story in Sunday school when I was a kid, although they sure didn't bring it to life like you guys do every year at Purim."

Gary chuckled. "No, I don't imagine they did." He looked serious again. "My parents are at the hospital now. My dad said that they would keep me posted."

"Are you and your uncle close?"

"Oh yes. He used to shoot baskets with me when I was growing up in Brooklyn."

"Well, I certainly hope that he will be all right."

"Yeah."

The Greenbergs were much more silent than usual for the rest of that evening. Jake, who didn't really know his great uncle, asked a few questions. Rebecca and Jonathan, too young to understand what was going on, were their normal cheerful, boisterous selves, which proved a welcome distraction for Gary and Cindy.

Several days later, Gary's Uncle Mordecai was moved out of intensive care and into a private room, and Gary and Cindy were finally able to visit him.

Cindy, who had never before seen a stroke patient, was shocked at how frail and weak Uncle Mordecai looked lying in his hospital bed. He seemed to perk up as soon as he saw Gary.

"Gary! It's so good to see you, my boy." His speech was a little slurred, so Gary and Cindy had to listen very carefully to understand him.

"Hello, Uncle Mordecai. This is my wife, Cindy."

"Hello there, my dear. It's nice to meet you. You look so lovely." Uncle Mordecai smiled and shook Cindy's hand.

"Thank you, sir. It's nice to meet you too."

"Aw, you don't have to call me 'sir'." Uncle Mordecai laughed weakly. Cindy longed to ask him what it was like to live in Israel, but she knew that he probably didn't feel like talking very much.

"It looks like you have a very nice room," Gary said.

"Yeah, it's all right. The food, though - ugh!" Uncle Mordecai grimaced. "Your ma, she's on me day and night, trying to get me to eat. I'll eat when they bring me something that doesn't taste like cardboard, I told her."

Gary and Cindy laughed.

"So, how's the family? Your brother and sister? They never come to see me."

"Oh, you know how it is, Uncle Mordecai. Jason's always totally absorbed in whatever case he's working on at the time, and Melissa's always in the middle of some major disaster. Either her pedicure appointment got cancelled, or her poodle has the hives. I don't know what on earth she'd do if she ever had to face a real disaster."

"But you came, Gary, just like I knew you would. You've always been such a good boy."

Gary grinned with embarassment, and Cindy felt her heart swell with love for her husband.

"And what about Carly and Jake?"

"They're doing great! Carly's a junior majoring in education with a minor in music, and Jake's a senior in high school. Cindy and I have also been blessed with twins, Rebecca and Jonathan. They turned two last June."

"Mazel tov! That's wonderful!"

Gary showed his uncle photos of the twins, and the older man commented on how much they both looked like Gary.

"And how are your children and grandchildren?"

"Oh, fine, fine."

"He seems to be such a sweet man," Cindy remarked on the way home. "I do hope that he has a swift recovery."

"He's been so lonely since Aunt Miriam died. I don't know how strong his will to live is," Gary replied sadly.

After several weeks in the hospital, Uncle Mordecai was moved to a rehabilitation institution where he underwent physical therapy and was soon able to walk with the assistance of a walker. Gary and Cindy visited him there several times as well.

"That's such a depressing place," Cindy said to Gary. She always felt so depressed after a visit to the institution.

"He wants very badly to come home," Gary told her. "But they're hesitant to send him home alone. They're afraid he'll fall and there'll be no one there to help him."

Cindy mentioned the situation to her mother the next time they spoke on the phone.

"It's funny you mentioned that," Carol said. "I just spoke with Alice recently. She thinks that she'd like to work as a housekeeper again. She's been feeling so sad and lonely ever since she lost Sam, and she thinks that being around a family again will help lift her spirits."

Cindy had a sudden inspiration. "Say, Mom, do you think that Alice might like to stay with Uncle Mordecai and take care of him?"

"Well, how observant is he? Alice doesn't know how to prepare kosher food."

"That's okay. He's a vegetarian."

"Well, I'll definitely talk to her and find out how she would feel about that."

Cindy mentioned their conversation to Gary, and he thought that it sounded like an excellent idea. Both of them kept their fingers crossed that it would work out.

As it turned out, they didn't have to wait long at all. Carol called back the next day and said that Alice would love to meet Gary's uncle and discuss the possibility of coming to work for him.


	23. Christmas Lights

_No, it couldn't be, _Cindy told herself. She had been taking birth control pills since right after the twins had been born, and her periods had been as regular as clockwork. Yet this month she was already over a week late, and she was also beginning to experience some of the same symptoms she had felt very early in her pregnancy with the twins.

Cindy suddenly remembered that she had taken antibiotics for a sinus infection a couple of weeks previously, but at the time it hadn't even occurred to her that they might interfere with the effectiveness of the pill.

_Oh my God, what am I gonna tell Gary? _she asked herself. Carly still had about a year and a half of college left, and Jake was due to start college himself the following August. Jonathan's medical expenses were quite costly as well. Not that Gary ever complained, but Cindy saw the worried look in his eyes every month when the bills came.

_Oh well, no point in worrying about it until I know that it's true, _Cindy told herself, but she did make an appointment for a pregnancy test.

"The St. Mary's Catholic Church has the Christmas lights again like they had last year," Cindy told Gary that evening. The St. Mary's church was a church downtown that put on an extravagant show with Christmas tree lights every year. Many natural and artificial trees, topiaries, booths, statues, and other structures were decorated with Christmas tree lights, and when all the lights were lit, the result was spectacular.

Gary looked amused. "Let me guess...you want to go see them, right?"

"They _are _very beautiful."

Gary feigned annoyance. "All right, Cindy. I'll humor you."

"Just think of them as _holiday _lights, Gary."

"Holiday lights," Gary muttered, swatting her behind playfully. Cindy laughed. She knew that Gary really enjoyed seeing the lights too, even if he would never admit it.

_By the way, Gary, there's something else I need to tell you _was on the tip of Cindy's tongue, but she just couldn't get the words out.

That Friday evening, the sun was almost all the way set when Gary and Cindy bundled the twins into the car for the drive to the church. Several stars were already twinkling in the sky as they pulled into the parking lot. Gary took the double stroller out of the trunk and, with Cindy's help, got the twins settled into it.

Rebecca and Jonathan, although too young to understand the reason for the trip, were still very excited.

"Look at the pretty lights," Cindy said to them.

"Pretty! Pretty!" Rebecca giggled and pointed to a tree strung with many colorful lights. "Pretty," said Jonathan, gazing at the tree.

They came upon a miniature merry-go-round with toddler-sized horses.

"Would you like a ride?" Cindy asked.

"Yes!" both twins cried enthusiastically. Gary and Cindy took them out of the stroller and sat them on the horses. Then they stood hand in hand watching them go around and around.

"Fancy seeing you two here," said a familiar voice. Cindy turned to see Alice and Uncle Mordecai. Alice looked and sounded just like her old brisk and cheerful self. Uncle Mordecai was in a wheelchair, but he looked so much better than he had in the hospital that Cindy almost didn't recognize him.

"I didn't want to come, but she made me," he complained, but his eyes were twinkling.

"Truth of the matter is, he begged me to bring him," Alice whispered confidentially to Cindy and Gary.

"So these are your two little ones," Uncle Mordecai said to Gary. "Such darling little angels they are."

"You just haven't been around them enough yet," Gary joked. "How have you been feeling, Uncle Mordecai?"

"Much, much better," his uncle assured him. "Alice here has been so much better for me than any medicine could ever be."

"Aww, just listen to you," Alice said modestly, but Cindy could tell that she was pleased.

"They look so sweet together, don't they?" Cindy remarked on the way home.

"I think Alice is just what the doctor ordered," Gary agreed. "They remind me so much of you and me when we first got together."

Later Cindy realized that she had enjoyed the evening so much that her pregnancy concerns hadn't even crossed her mind the entire time. It wasn't until the next day that she finally got up the nerve to tell Gary.

"Gary, I think I might be pregnant," she blurted.

Gary blinked, stunned.

"Did you forget to take a pill?" he asked.

"No, but I think the antibiotics I was on for my sinus infection might have messed up my cycle."

Gary sighed deeply. "When will you know for sure?"

"I have an appointment for a pregnancy test in a few days."

Gary was silent.

"I'm so sorry, Gary," she said meekly.

"Don't be. You didn't do anything wrong. And if it turns out that you _are_ pregnant, everything will be all right. We'll manage somehow."

A couple of days later, Cindy woke up with severe abdominal cramps. When she reached the bathroom, she discovered that she was bleeding quite heavily, more heavily than usual.

Not wanting to alarm Gary before he started his work day, she waited until that evening to tell him.

"I finally got my period," she said.

"Great!" Gary looked visibly relieved. "So all your worrying was for nothing then."

"But it hasn't been a normal period, Gary. The bleeding has been heavier, the cramps have been worse, and I've been passing some weird-looking brownish junk too. I think that maybe there was a baby but I lost it."

Gary looked very concerned. "Do you think that you need to go to the hospital?"

"I'm all right now. The cramps and bleeding have eased off, so it's more like a normal period now. But Gary, if there really was a baby...then that was a new life, a part of me and a part of you too, just like the twins...and now it's gone..." Cindy felt as if she might cry.

"Oh, honey," Gary whispered. He gathered Cindy into his arms and held her close. "We just have to believe that if that's true, then it was what was meant to be. God knows best."

"Do you really believe that?"

He nodded. "Never lose faith, Cyn. Sometimes it's all you have left to live on. Ask any Holocaust survivor."

"I don't know any."

"I have some cousins on my mom's side. On my dad's, too, come to think of it."

"Oh Gary, I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

"It's all right. I've never met any of them. Perhaps I will some day. I'll bet they have some stories to tell."

"I'm sure they do."

"I have something I want to give you, Cindy. I was planning to wait until Christmas, but right now seems to be the perfect time." He walked to the dresser and returned with a small box, which he opened to reveal a delicate gold chain on which hung a small gold heart which contained a single diamond and one word: 'Beshert'.

"Oh, Gary, it's beautiful," Cindy gasped. "What does that word mean? Beshert?"

"It means destiny, fate. The person you were meant to be with from the beginning of time. That's what you are to me, Cindy."

"Oh, Gary." Cindy was all choked up. She didn't have the words to tell him how she felt, so she hugged him tightly and kissed him over and over.

Gary laughed. "I take it you like it then."

"Oh, I love it!"

"So do you want it on?"

"Oh yes!"

Gary fastened the necklace around her neck, and they both admired it in the mirror.

"I feel so much better now," Cindy said.

"I thought you might." Gary winked at her. "Coming to bed soon?"

Cindy nodded, yawning. Gary laughed and pulled the covers back for her. She cuddled up against him and was soon asleep.


	24. Insecurity

The next day, Cindy was preparing lunch for the twins when she heard the front door opening. Startled, she turned to see Gary smiling at her and holding a large white bag.

"Hey!" She walked over to him and hugged and kissed him. "What's the occasion?" It was highly unusual for Gary to come home on his lunch break. He normally ate lunch at his desk so that he could come home earlier in the evening.

"No special occasion. It's just that I've had you on my mind all morning and wanted to make sure you're okay. Submarine sandwiches all right?" He held out the bag, from which came delicious smells.

"Sure, that's fine. Thanks, Gary." She unwrapped the sandwiches, put them on plates, and sat the plates on the table.

"Can't eat just hot dogs all the time, you know," Gary said. They both laughed.

"So do you feel all right now, Cindy?" Gary's voice was soft with concern.

"Sure, Gary. I'm fine. It's so sweet of you to worry about me, though." They hugged and kissed again.

"Hey, Cyn, could you work Friday? I wouldn't ask you to, but Chuck asked for that day off and so far I haven't found anyone else to fill in." Chuck was one of Gary's deejays.

"Uh, sure, I guess so. I'll see if Mom can watch the twins that day."

"Don't worry about it. Marge from the synagogue told me her child care has a couple of openings for Friday."

"When did you see Marge from the synagogue?"

"I was there this morning posting flyers for a drunk driving awareness seminar on the bulletin board."

"Uh huh."

Gary laughed. "She's _fifty-seven, _Cyn."

"I know. I was just teasing you. So did you clear that with the rabbi?"

"Of course I did." Gary knelt to look at the structure the twins were building with blocks. "So, what have we here?"

"It's a tower, Daddy!" giggled Rebecca.

* * *

When Cindy walked into the radio station Friday morning, she felt as if she were returning to a familiar place after a long absence. Although she still worked there part time, it had been a while since she had gone in on a Friday morning and worked a whole day.

It was near noon when a very nicely-dressed middle-aged woman entered carrying what appeared to be a box of red ribbons.

"May I please see Gary Greenberg?" she asked.

"He just stepped out for a minute," Cindy told her. "I'm his wife, Cindy. Can I help you?"

"Oh, of course. Nice to meet you, dear." The woman smiled. "I'm Liz Hoffman, president of the local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. Gary agreed to support us in our new red ribbon campaign. The object is to persuade people to tie a red ribbon around their car's antenna to remind them not to drink and drive over the holidays."

"Well, that certainly sounds like a wonderful idea," Cindy said. "I'll definitely tell Gary - "

Just then Gary came in. "Oh, hi, Liz!" he said, beaming. "Come on back to my office."

Cindy watched them walk down the hallway with a sinking feeling in her stomach. After about half an hour, they both returned, deeply engaged in conversation with one another.

"Liz and I have some business to discuss over lunch. Can you join us?" Gary asked Cindy.

"I'd love to," Cindy replied, immensely relieved.

Just then the phone rang shrilly.

"Hello, Cindy? This is Marge from the child care center. Jonathan just fell and hurt himself. His mouth is bleeding. I think he might have knocked a tooth loose. Can you come right away?"

"Of course, Marge. I'll be there just as soon as I can." Cindy quickly explained to Gary what had happened before dashing to the parking lot.

Cindy's pulse raced as she drove to Marge's child care center as quickly as she could. What if Jonathan had knocked out a tooth? What if he needed stitches?

When Cindy arrived at Marge's, she was relieved to find that Jonathan's injury wasn't as serious as she had feared. He had merely torn a small piece of tissue inside his mouth, not knocked out a tooth. The bleeding had almost stopped. However, Jonathan was still crying and, wanting to spare him any further trauma, Cindy decided to take both twins home. As soon as she was inside the house, she called the radio station to update Gary on his son's condition.

"He's still at lunch," the secretary told her. "Would you like for me to have him call you back when he returns?"

"Never mind," Cindy muttered disheartedly. She had that sinking feeling in her stomach again, and this time it was worse. What did Gary have to discuss with Liz Hoffman that took so long?

It was probably less than five minutes later that the phone rang.

"Hi, hon. Sorry, lunch ran a little over. So, how's Jonny doing?" Gary asked.

"He's fine now. He didn't knock out a tooth or anything. He's not even bleeding anymore. Actually, he seems to have completely forgotten about it." Both twins were playing happily together on the floor."

"Whew! That's a relief!"

"How did lunch go?"

"Quite well, actually. I feel that we got a lot accomplished."

"That's good, I guess." An awkward silence followed.

"Is everything all right, Cindy?" Gary sounded concerned.

"Oh, yes, everything's fine. I just...really wish I could have had lunch with you today too."

"So do I," Gary said softly. "Oh well, there'll be other times."

Another awkward silence followed.

"Cindy, are you sure you're all right?" Gary knew his wife well enough that he could tell when something was on her mind.

"I'm positive. Couldn't be better." Cindy forced cheerfulness into her voice and hoped that it sounded convincing.

"Well...all right, then. I'll see you when I get home. Love you, sweetie."

"Love you, too." Cindy hung up the phone and began to cry.


	25. Reassurance

It was the night of the drunk driving awareness seminar. Gary and Cindy were getting ready to leave the house. Gary was looking in the bathroom mirror and counting his gray hairs.

"Let's see, this one has Jake's name on it...this one has Carly's name on it..."

Cindy grinned at him.

"This one has Cindy's name on it...and so does this one..."

"Come on, old man. We're going to be late." Cindy giggled.

"Old man? Well, let's just see how many _you _have in twelve years, little girl." Gary grinned and patted Cindy's backside playfully.

They arrived early because Gary was going to be one of the speakers. Cindy chose a seat in one of the front rows of the nearly-vacant auditorium, while Gary took his place beside the others speakers on the stage, which included Liz Hoffman.

As guests arrived, the former silence was replaced with a lively chatter. Cindy waited patiently for the seminar to begin. Finally Liz, the first speaker, rose to address the audience, and silence once again prevailed.

Cindy listened solemnly as Gary told the story of the death of his first wife. The stories of the other speakers were equally poignant, and by the time they had finished, Cindy was feeling very sad.

After the seminar ended, Gary remained on the stage to talk to some of the other speakers. Cindy wanted to talk to him but wasn't able to reach him because of the crowd. Suddenly she felt a light touch on her arm.

"There you are, dear," Liz said. "I was hoping to get a chance to talk to you tonight. I felt badly that you weren't able to join us for lunch that day. Is your little boy okay now?"

"Oh, he's fine now, thanks." Cindy was startled and felt a bit awkward. "He just fell and bumped his chin. Nothing serious."

"That's good." Liz glanced toward Gary. "Your husband is so proud of you, you know. He was so busy going on and on about you that day that he almost made me late getting back from my lunch break. He said that when he first met you, it was like the sun coming out again after a bad storm. He told me that you brought back feelings in him that he thought he would never feel again after he lost Jackie. You were always so good with Jake and Carly, he said, and a fantastic mother to the twins. He said that you were truly an answer to prayer and that he didn't know what he would do without you. He kept saying things like that over and over again. I had to remind him of the time."

Cindy couldn't wait until she saw Gary again.

"I love you, Gary Greenberg!" she said, hugging him tightly.

Gary, startled and amused, chuckled slightly. "Whoa! What'd you do, Cindy? Whatever it was, I promise I won't get mad. Just please hurry up and tell me!"

"Why do you just automatically assume it's something bad?" Cindy laughed. "Liz just told me all those things you said about me that day you had lunch with her in the park."

Gary blushed and grinned sheepishly. "Well, I _do _have to brag about you sometimes, don't I?"

* * *

"Amazingly good turn-out we had tonight," Gary commented on the way home. "That's encouraging. It's very satisfying to know that you're making a difference, that people are paying attention to you and what you have to say."

"Those stories really make you afraid to get in a car to go anywhere," Cindy said with a shudder.

"Oh, Cindy, you can't let it affect you that way." Gary patted her knee comfortingly. "Sure, life is scary and unpredictable sometimes, but you can't really enjoy life if you constantly live in fear of what might happen. All you can do is to drive as carefully and safely as possible and trust God with the rest. You certainly can't control other people. All you can do is warn them and hope that they will make the right choice."

They rode in silence for a while.

"After what happened to Jackie, I went through a very difficult period where I just couldn't stand to watch the kids get on the school bus in the morning. Every time I saw it drive away with them on board, I used to get this awful feeling that I would never see them again. I had to take anti-anxiety meds for a while because of that."

Cindy didn't know what to say. She wanted to comfort him but just couldn't think of the right words.

That night in bed, Gary clung tightly to Cindy.

"Please don't ever leave me, Cindy," he begged.

Cindy was startled. "Of course I won't! Why would I do that? I love you, silly!"

"I need you so much." Gary was still dead serious.

"We need each other, Gary. It's all right. Everything's going to be all right."

"Thanks, Cyn. I really needed to hear that."


	26. Jake's High School Graduation

**June 1995**

The long-awaited day of Jake's high school graduation finally arrived. Preparations for Jake's future had been in the making for a number of months; one of his most important decisions was whether to attend college in northern California in order to experience dorm life while avoiding out-of-state fees, as Carly was doing, or to attend UCLA and commute from home. Since he wanted to major in pre-law, an important issue was what college had the best pre-law courses.

As the stadium seats filled, Cindy searched for her family members. She spied her mother and father with Wally, Marcia, Jessica, and Mickey sitting with them. Jessica at thirteen had grown a lot taller, and Cindy noticed that her breasts were a lot larger as well. She had a mild case of acne and wore her hair pulled back in a scrunchie. She wore a tight-fitting shirt with a low neckline and was chewing a big wad of pink bubble gum. Mickey at eleven looked very small compared to his sister.

Not far away sat Greg and Nora with eleven-year-old Kevin, who wore a pair of nice slacks and a button-down-the-front shirt. He stared straight ahead with a serious expression on his face.

Philip and Jan were there too, with eleven-year-old Patty, who was beautiful in a yellow dress, pantyhose, and sandals. Little Peyton made a game of going up and down the bleachers, and Jan held the family's newest addition, a six-month-old boy whom they had adopted from an orphanage in South America and named Preston.

We had decided to try for a third baby, but nothing was happening, so we decided to adopt again," Jan had explained. "Philip thought that since we already had two girls, it would be nice to adopt a boy this time."

Cindy made her way to where the family was sitting.

"Hi Preston, I'm your Aunt Cindy," Cindy said, reaching for the baby, who turned his head and hid his face in the front of Jan's shirt.

"He's a little shy around people he's never met before," Jan explained.

Cindy lightly touched the baby's head and returned to Gary and the twins.

Gary's sister Melissa and her husband, Jeff Shapiro, arrived with their daughter, Ariel, who was Jessica's age and in some of her classes at school.

"Hey, Jessica!" Ariel called, heading for where Marcia and her family were seated.

At last the band began to play 'Pomp and Circumstance', and the audience grew quiet as the graduates solemnly entered in their caps and gowns.

The principal, class president, salutitorian, and valedictorian all made their speeches, and then it was time for the graduates to receive their diplomas.

"Jacob Warren Greenberg, cum laude," the principal announced as Jake walked across the stage to receive his diploma. Cindy and the rest of the family all cheered loudly for him.

After the ceremony was finally over, the graduates all threw their caps into the air, and then their families and friends all rushed onto the field to take pictures.

Jake left with a group of his friends, so Gary and Cindy drove back home with just the twins.

* * *

"Jackie's brother Philip is taking Jake to spend part of the summer with his other grandparents," Gary told Cindy. "They live in Miami, Florida and haven't seen him since before we got married, and they'd like to spend some time with him before he goes away to college."

"So when are they flying out?"

"Not flying, driving."

"But Gary, that's all the way across the coast! It'll take days!"

"They're taking the interstate and staying in motels along the way. Phil says that will give him plenty of time to get to know Jake and to bond with him."

"But they'll have to drive through Mississippi! I remember when you told me about the time Jason stopped at a gas station in Mississippi and got a swastika spray-painted on his car."

"You can't let people who do things like that determine your travel plans, Cindy. That's the same thing as letting them win."

"Well, I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right!"

"But..."

Gary silenced her with a kiss to her lips.

* * *

Gary and Jake were at the hardware store the day a middle-aged man who bore a slight resemblance to both Jake and Carly arrived at the door.

"You must be Cindy."

Cindy nodded.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Phil Stern, Jake's uncle." He shook Cindy's hand. "Sorry, I'm a little early."

"That's all right. They just went to get some bolts and nuts to work on Jake's bike. They'll be back in a few minutes. Come on in."

"You look awfully young. Jake and Carly must be more like a younger brother and sister to you than a son and daughter. How old are you, anyway?" Phil peered over his spectacles at her.

"Twenty-nine and holding." Cindy knew that Phil hadn't meant it as a compiment.

"So these are your two little ones?"

"Yes, this is Rebecca and Jonathan," Cindy said proudly.

"You sure are a pretty little girl," Phil told Rebecca as he ruffled her hair. She beamed up at him while Jonathan watched warily from a distance.

"Sure is tough to lose a parent at a young age," Phil remarked. "That lush who killed my sister never realized what he did to my family, especially to Carly and Jake."

"I lost my biological father when I was just a baby," Cindy told him. "The ship he was on sank. They never even found his body."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Vietnam?"

"No, it was a civilian ship. He wasn't in the military. I did lose an uncle in 'Nam, though. My mom's younger brother. His name was Patrick Tyler and he was just twenty-two years old. I remember the day we went to the airport when they brought him back. It was before my mom married Mike Brady, but not too long before. It was the same day I lost my first baby tooth." Cindy did have a vague but definite memory of standing there with her mother and sisters looking at her Uncle Pat's flag-draped coffin while wiggling her loose front tooth.

"You remember the darndest things about days like that, don't you?" Phil concurred. "Remember that godawful song 'Rock Me Amadeus'? The day we got the news about my sister, every time you turned on the radio, they were playing that song. Now every time I hear it I just want to throw up."

Cindy, who had previously liked the song, didn't know what to say.

Soon Gary and Jake arrived home.

"Uncle Phil!" Jake shouted, running to meet him.

"Good to see you again, Phil." Gary and Phil shook hands.

"Looks like you have a lovely new family," Phil told Gary. "Well, I guess we'll be on our way, as soon as Jake's ready to go."

"He seems like a nice man," Cindy told Gary after they were gone.

"Phil's a lobbyist," Gary told her. "He goes to the state capital several times a year, trying to get bills passed for tougher drunk driving laws and things like that. He tried to get me into that too, but at the time I was a single father struggling with my own grief while trying to give the kids as normal a life as possible under the circumstances. I didn't have the time nor the energy for that type of thing."

"You do plenty, Gary."

"I know, but I'm always asking myself, am I doing the best that I can?"

"You do a lot more than anybody else I know. I'm proud of you." She went to him and hugged and kissed him. "Come on, let's take the kids to the park."


	27. Home For The Summer

When Carly arrived to spend the summer with her family, Gary and Cindy were surprised to see that she was alone.

"Where's Ben?" Gary asked.

"Ben and I are over," Carly told him.

"I'm so sorry," Cindy said.

"It's all right. I'm actually enjoying my freedom," Carly said airily.

"What happened?" Gary wanted to know.

"He was always complaining that I spent time with the band that I should be spending with him. Eventually he told me that things were over between us unless I quit the band. I told him that it wasn't right for him to expect me to just give up something that I had worked so hard on and that was so important to me. We had a huge fight over it, and we haven't even spoken to each other since then." Carly's band was called The Digital Divas, and Carly was their lead vocalist.

"How did your classes go?" asked Cindy.

"They went all right. I passed everything, which was amazing, considering."

Gary and Cindy helped Carly unpack her luggage and take it to her bedroom.

Later that day, Cindy heard sobs coming from the other side of the door of Carly's bedroom. Concerned, she knocked gently on the door. When Carly opened it, Cindy saw that her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"Oh, Cindy, I miss him so much," Carly sobbed.

"I know it hurts, sweetie." Cindy embraced her stepdaughter and patted her back gently. Carly clung to her and cried for a few more minutes.

"Why don't you call Amy and Heather and see what they're up to?" Cindy suggested. "Maybe that'll help take your mind off it." Amy and Heather had been Carly's best friends in high school.

"Cool idea!" Carly said, grabbing the phone.

Cindy went into the living room, where Gary was sitting on the sofa watching a video with the twins. He saw her coming and smiled.

"She's taking it harder than she's letting on, isn't she?" he asked quietly.

Cindy nodded.

"I thought as much." He put his arm around Cindy and hugged her tightly as she sat beside him and rested her head on his shoulder.

* * *

Several days later, Cindy received a phone call from Marcia.

"You should really keep a closer eye on what that stepdaughter of yours is doing," Marcia said right after Cindy said hello.

"What are you talking about?" Cindy was taken aback. "Carly's twenty-one years old. We trust her to make her own decisions about things."

"Well, the decision she made a couple of nights ago wasn't so hot."

"Are you talking about her taking Jessica and Ariel to see a movie? She said they had asked her to take them. What's wrong with that?"

"Do you know what movie she took them to see? 'Don Juan Demarco'!" Marcia sounded outraged. "My little girl is entirely too young to watch that type of movie! Melissa isn't too happy about it either. I told her I was going to call you about it."

"Oh...well..."

"Oh well? Is that all you can say?"

Cindy sighed. "Marcia, I didn't ask her what movie she was taking the girls to see because I didn't realize that it would be an issue. She knows better than to take them to one that's rated 'R'."

"'Don Juan Demarco' is 'PG-13'. Jessica isn't allowed to watch anything with a rating higher than 'PG', and she knows it."

"Did you tell Carly that?"

"Well...no, but I just assumed that she would have enough sense..."

"It sounds to me like if anyone's at fault here, it's Jessica, not Carly," Cindy said.

"Oh, you can be sure Jessica's already had a good talking-to about it, and I would appreciate it if you would speak to Carly about it as well." Before Cindy could say another word, Marcia had hung up.

"What was that all about?" asked Gary, who had overheard Cindy's end of the conversation.

"Oh, Marcia's upset that Carly took Jessica and Ariel to see 'Don Juan Demarco'."

"Isn't that movie kind of..."

"Yeah, I know. Jessica isn't allowed to see anything rated higher than 'PG', but Marcia didn't tell Carly that, so how was she to know?"

"I'll talk to Carly about it, but you're right. Marcia should have told Carly beforehand if she didn't want Jessica to watch that kind of movie."

"I just thought that it was such a good thing that the girls were getting along that I thought what movie they went to see wasn't that big of a deal."

"Don't worry about it, sweetie. You know how Marcia tends to over-react sometimes." Gary hugged and kissed her, and she felt better.

* * *

That weekend, Heather came over with her boyfriend Eric and a boy Cindy had never seen before.

"I'll go get Carly," Cindy told them. "I think she's in the bathroom."

"Give me thirty seconds!" shouted Carly. A minute later she appeared holding a hairbrush. She smiled at the boy with Eric and Heather.

"Hi, I'm Carly," she said as she shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Carly. I"m Dennis," the boy said. He was tall and blonde, with blue eyes and a dazzling smile. He was also quite muscular and tanned. Cindy guessed that he must be either a surfer or athlete of some sort.

"Well, come on, you guys," said Heather, and the four of them left.

"He seems nice, doesn't he?" Cindy asked Gary after they were gone.

"I suppose so, considering I've only known him for about five minutes," Gary said flippantly. "At least she's out having fun instead of moping around crying about Ben."

"Well, after I get the twins settled for the night, we'll have the house to ourselves," Cindy said.

"I'm sure we can find ways to stay busy." Gary winked at her.


	28. Empty Nest Syndrome

"I'm seriously considering transferring my credits to UCLA and finishing college here," Carly announced one evening in August over dinner.

"Are you sure, hon?" Gary asked. "You've only got one more year to go."

"I just don't feel like there's anything left for me in northern California anymoe, except painful memories of Ben."

"What about The Digital Divas?" asked Cindy.

"Oh, they'll find another lead vocalist, no problem. I miss my old friends from high school. The only times I can get together with them are when I'm home on vacation. A lot of them go to UCLA, and I could see them all the time if I transferred."

"Well, it's your decision," Gary told her. "But if I were you, I'd sure think long and hard about it."

"Do you think she's serious?" Cindy asked Gary later.

"If she is, I think she's doing it for the wrong reason," Gary replied. "I think she should go back to her own college with her head held high and show Ben Levin that she can make it just fine without him."

"Well, that may be easier said than done," Cindy said quietly. "I never told you about Ned Wilson, did I?"

"Who's Ned Wilson?"

"He was my first serious boyfriend. I was eighteen and a freshman in college. He was nineteen, and a sophomore. I was a little insecure and thought that he was just so totally cool. I fell head over heels in love with him really fast."

"One night we had gone out and went parking afterwards. We had done that before, plenty of times. We kissed and necked a lot, but that was as far as it ever went. Well, this particular night, I guess he was feeling especially passionate and took a condom out of his wallet and showed it to me. I told him that I wasn't ready for that. He tried his best to persuade me, but I held my ground. Finally he got mad. 'Well, in that case, you can just get out of my car and walk home,' he said."

"Did he really put you out of the car?" Gary was incredulous.

Cindy nodded. "I had to walk to the nearest convenience store and call a taxi to pick me up and take me back to my dorm."

"Lucky for him I wasn't there," Gary said coldly. "I'd have bashed in his teeth."

"Luckily, the term was almost over, so I didn't have to see him around on campus that much after that happened. I sure cried plenty over the holidays when I got home though."

"I'm sure you did, honey," Gary said softly, holding Cindy close. "I'm so sorry that happened to you, sweetheart. But I'm so very glad it didn't turn you against all guys."

"Of course not. Why should it have?"

* * *

"Jake has decided to stay in Miami with his grandparents and attend college in south Florida," Gary told Cindy as he got off the phone.

"Are you okay with that?" asked Cindy.

"I may as well be." Gary laughed. "He's eighteen now and can make his own choices."

"But it might be hard to get used to him being so far away for so long."

Gary sighed. "It's understandable. Carly and Jake didn't see nearly as much of the Sterns as they should have after Jackie...well, you know. That was my fault. I should have made more of an effort to see that they saw more of their other grandparents, but I didn't."

Cindy went to him and put her arms around his waist. "I don't think you should be so hard on yourself," she told him. "You were overwhelmed enough as it was."

"Yeah." Gary smiled half-heartedly. "Well, it'll be nice for him to get to know the Sterns better, and for them to get to spend time with him."

Cindy knew that he would miss Jake and felt sad for him.

* * *

"Guess what!' Carly announced at the dinner table shortly after they had learned the news about Jake. "Ben just called me long distance. He said that he realized that it was wrong for him to make me choose between The Digital Divas and him and that he's sorry and wants another chance."

"So are you going to give him one?" asked Cindy.

"I'm seriously considering it. By the way, I changed my mind about going to UCLA . I'm gonna just go back to the college I've been in after all. I do have only one more year there anyway."

"I think you're making the right choice," Gary told her.

The day finally arrived for Carly to return to college. Gary and Cindy stood at the window watching her drive away.

"The house sure seems quiet, doesn't it?" asked Gary.

Before Cindy could respond, Rebecca jumped off the sofa and ran to her room with Jonathan close behind. She returned with her Barbie ride-on toy, accompanied by her brother on his Thomas The Train ride-on toy.

"Beep! Beep!" Rebecca shouted, pretending to blow the toy's horn.

Gary sat on the sofa holding both arms open wide, and the twins immediately got off their toys and sat in his lap.

"If it weren't for you guys, I'd be suffering from empty nest syndrome big time right now," he told them, hugging them both tightly. Rebecca giggled happily. Jonathan just grinned.


	29. Overnight Separation

**December 1995**

"Cindy? Put Dad on, please." Cindy heard the tension in Carly's voice and knew that something must be terribly wrong as she silently handed the receiver to Gary.

A minute later Cindy saw Gary's face turn pale. _Oh, no, _she thought.

"Where are you? Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital? Of course I will, sweetheart. I'll be there just as soon as I can. I love you, baby." Gary hung up the phone.

"Carly had a serious accident just outside Sacremento," he told Cindy. She says that she's not hurt but that the car is no longer driveable. I'm going right now to pick her up and bring her home."

"Are you sure it wouldn't be better for me to go? I mean, I can tell you're pretty upset..."

"No. I'll go. You stay here and take care of the twins." The tone in Gary's voice told Cindy that the subject wasn't open for discussion.

"All right, but please be careful, honey. Sacremento's a long drive."

Gary hurriedly kissed Cindy good-bye and she settled in for the long wait.

Rebecca wandered into the living room. "Where did Daddy go?" she asked.

"He had to go pick up Carly. She can't drive home because her car is broken."

"Why is her car broken?"

"I don't know, sweetheart."

The little girl climbed into her mother's lap, and Cindy held her tight. Jonathan joined his sister a short time later.

It was a good eight hours later before the phone finally rang.

"Hi, Cyn, it's me." Gary's voice sounded extremely weary.

"Are you both all right?"

"We're fine. Carly's still a bit shaken up. A car going the opposite direction on the Interstate lost control and crossed the barrier and broadsided Carly's car on the passenger's side. The damage is so extensive that I doubt it can be repaired, but I don't even care about that. All I keep thinking is, God, if it had been the driver's side instead of the passenger's side..."It sounded as if Gary was sobbing.

"Well, there's no point in dwelling on that. Carly's all right. That's the important thing."

"Yes. Well." Gary cleared his throat. "Listen, Cyn. It's kind of late to start driving back, so Carly and I are just gonna stay in a motel for the night. Are you and the twins all right?"

"Yes, we're fine."

"Okay, well, I'll see you tomorrow then. I figure if we start out first thing in the morning we can be home not long after lunch."

"Okay, Gary. Thanks for calling. I'll see you tomorrow then. I love you, hon."

"I love you too, sweetie. Kiss the twins good-night for me."

"I want my Daddy!" Jonathan cried when Cindy tried to put him to bed.

"Daddy's not home right now. He had to go get Carly because her car is broken. He's coming back home tomorrow."

"I want Daddy _now!" _Jonathan screamed, flailing his arms.

"Sh, sh." Cindy held her son tightly and rocked him. "It's all right, sweetheart. Daddy will be back home tomorrow, I promise. How about if I sing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' to you?"

Cindy sang to Jonathan and rocked him until his sobs dwindled to hiccups and he finally fell asleep.

Cindy had some difficulty falling asleep herself that night. She missed the warmth of Gary's comforting arms around her, and the bed seemed entirely too big.

Gary and Carly arrived home in the early afternoon of the following day. The twins heard the car pulling into the driveway and began jumping up and down. "Daddy's home! Daddy's home!" they cried excitedly. Gary scooped both of them up into his arms while Cindy went to embrace Carly.

"Are you all right, dear?" she asked anxiously.

"_I _am. Unfortunately, my _car _isn't," Carly said gloomily.

"Thank goodness for insurance," Cindy said.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"I'm just so thankful that you weren't hurt, Carly."

"Yeah, me too." Carly smiled weakly.

Gary and Cindy helped Carly with her suitcases while the twins both excitedly tried to talk to their older sister at once.

"Hey, I can only hear one of you at a time!" Carly laughed.

"Whew! It sure is good to be home," Gary said as he embraced Cindy.

"Are you really all right, Gary?" Cindy asked in a voice so low that no one else could hear.

"Yeah. Just kind of stressed right now."

Cindy continued to watch him with concern. He knew that she was remembering a similar incident that had happened when she had been pregnant with the twins.

"Please don't worry about me, hon. I'm fine," he said tenderly, lightly kissing her.

Most of the rest of that day was spent on the phone with the insurance company. Then Carly called Ben long distance and told him what had happened.

"You don't know how much I missed you last night," Cindy said later as she cuddled with Gary underneath the sheets.

"As much as I missed you?" He grinned saucily at her.

"More."

"I doubt that."

They both laughed. Gary playfully swatted Cindy on the bottom. "Go to sleep, sweetie."

They were both so tired and stressed that they were asleep within minutes.


	30. Happy Holidays

"Five people wished me a Merry Christmas today," Gary told Cindy as he came in through the door. "I just smiled and wished them Happy Holidays."

"They _do _mean well, Gar."

"Oh, _I _know that." He laughed, hugged her from behind, and kissed her cheek. "It's my fault, really. I just keep forgetting that I should always wear my Japanese motorcycle this time of year."

"You're never gonna let me forget that, are you?" She turned so that they were facing one another and kissed his lips.

"Never."

Cindy served dinner, and afterwards, she, Gary and the twins went to Uncle Mordecai's to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with him and Alice. Now that the twins were a bit older, their great uncle enjoyed teaching them more about the holiday.

"We light one more candle on the menorah each night for eight nights, until on the eighth night, we have eight candles burning," he explained to Rebecca and Jonathan, who watched him with rapt attention. "This little candle I'm holding is called the _shamash, _or servant candle. We use it to light the other candles."

Next he told them about dreidels. "See those markings on each side? Those are Hebrew letters: _nun, gimel, hei, _and _shin. _They stand for the phrase 'a great miracle happened there.' The place it refers to is the country of Israel, where I used to live, and do you know what the miracle was? There was only enough oil for the lamp to burn for one night, yet the oil lasted for eight nights. That's why there are eight nights of Hanukkah. We play the dreidel game with these little chocolate coins called gelt."

Rebecca and Jonathan were far more interested in the gelt that in any other aspect of the celebration, but Gary was thrilled to see that they were learning about their heritage.

Later, after all the smeared chocolate had been cleaned from Rebecca's and Jonathan's hands and faces, Uncle Mordecai mentioned the tradition of exchanging gifts on Hanukkah.

"In fact, I have a gift I'd like to give Alice right now. I've been waiting for just the right time to give it to her, and now seems as good a time as any."

He removed a small box from his pocket and opened it to reveal a diamond ring. Alice gasped. Gary and Cindy exchanged silent glances.

"I'm sorry, dear, but I'm not able to get down on one knee anymore. I would if I could, but I can't. Alice, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Tears were in Alice's eyes as she nodded. "Yes, Mordecai, I would be thrilled to become your wife." She beamed as Uncle Mordecai slipped the ring onto her finger.

By now, tears were flowing down Cindy's cheeks, and Gary had to keep wiping his eyes and clearing his throat.

"That was just so beautiful," Cindy said to Gary on the way home later. "After what she's been through, she deserves a chance to be happy."

"He's been through a lot too. I hope they'll always be very happy together," Gary replied.

"We were the ones who got them together," Cindy said. "They never would have met if not for us."

"Hey, that's right." Gary grinned. "So, how does it feel to play Cupid?"

"I'm very happy to have played a part in bringing them together," Cindy replied. "It looks like they're each other's _bashert _as well," she added, touching the necklace around her neck. Gary smiled and kissed her.

* * *

On Christmas Day, the family went to the Bradys for dinner, like they did every year. It was fun to see how big all the nieces and nephews had grown to be. Peyton was almost four now, and her baby brother Preston was not quite six months. He had a head full of thick black hair. Little Justin was almost two and a half and seemed to be everywhere at once. Tracy looked tired. Peter and Wendy were missing.

"Peter called early this morning," Carol explained. "Wendy was having contractions, so he took her to the hospital. I haven't heard anything from them since then."

"Wouldn't it be something if our newest grandchild was born on Christmas Day," Mike commented.

"It looks like that may well be the case," Carol told him. "So, have Mordecai and Alice set a date yet?" she asked Gary.

"They're thinking about Valentine's Day," Gary told her.

"That's so romantic," Jessica put in. "I want to get married on Valentine's Day, too."

"You have to find a man first, silly," Mickey told her.

"I've got one." Jessica glared at her younger brother.

"You wish." Mickey laughed and ducked the sofa pillow she threw at him.

"You think you're so smart," Jessica muttered.

"How's middle school coming along?" "Cindy asked Kevin and Patty.

"It's really different," Kevin told her. "Instead of just one class all day like last year, now I have seven different ones. Plus I have a locker to keep my books in and I have to dress out for P.E. now."

"We're learning how to write computer programs in the gifted program," Patty said. "I think it's fun. I think I want to be a computer programmer when I'm finished with school."

"I'm sure you'll make an excellent one," Cindy told her.

After dinner, Cindy and her sisters helped their mother clean up, then joined the others in the living room. It was maybe about two o'clock when the phone rang and Carol answered it.

"Peter and Wendy's daughter was born a few minutes ago," she told the rest of the family when she got off the phone. "Her name is Holly Noelle Brady and she weighs seven pounds and two ounces. Mother and baby are both doing fine."

That evening Gary watched the twins so that Cindy could go to the hospital to see little Holly. She looked so tiny and yet so perfect. _She's the best Christmas present of all, _Cindy thought to herself.


	31. A Difficult Decision

**June 1996**

"Did you both go to the bathroom? It's going to be a very long car ride, and I don't know when we'll stop again," Cindy told the twins.

"Yes, Mommy," Rebecca and Jonathan dutifully replied.

"In that case, let's get this show on the road," Gary said.

The family was going to see Carly graduate from college. Realizing how difficult long car rides could be for four-year-olds, Cindy had packed juice boxes, snack crackers, coloring books, and various toys. In addition, the car's cassette tape player held a tape entitled 'Thirty Singalongs For Kids.' Cindy and Gary planned to play it until the twins were asleep and then switch to 'adult' music.

The first hour on the road passed smoothly. Cindy found herself happily singing 'The Bear Went Over The Mountain' right along with her children.

"What did the bear see when he got over the mountain?" asked Rebecca.

"He saw Little Boy Blue under the haystack fast asleep," Gary told her.

Rebecca giggled. "Daddy, you're silly."

"I know I am." Gary grinned.

For lunch, they stopped at Kentucky Fried Chicken. Gary and Cindy knew that it was time to leave when the twins started giggling and flinging French fries at one another.

Perhaps thirty minutes or so after getting back on the road, Cindy glanced into the back seat and saw that both twins were fast asleep. She smiled and exchanged 'Boys II Men' for 'Thirty Singalongs For Kids.'

"That's considerably more relaxing," Gary commented.

They enjoyed a couple more hours of solitude before the twins awakened and began asking how much longer before they got there.

It was near dinnertime when a car carrying two frazzled adults and two tired, cranky kids finally pulled into the motel parking lot.

"Want to just order out?" Gary asked once they were settled.

"Might as well. I definitely don't feel like chasing these two around a restaurant," Cindy replied.

They ordered two pizzas, a supreme for themselves and a cheese pizza for the twins. After dinner Cindy bathed the kids and then put the Nickelodeon channel on for them until they were asleep. Then she and Gary watched a movie on another channel and went to bed.

The next morning they went to a buffet for breakfast and then made their way to the stadium where the graduation ceremony was to be held.

"When are we gonna see Carly?" asked Rebecca.

"When she and all the other people graduating enter the stadium," Cindy told her.

"When's that gonna be?" asked Jonathan.

"In just a little while," Cindy told him.

Finally, 'Pomp And Circumstance' began to play and the graduates filed into their seats.

"Which one of them is Carly?" asked Rebecca.

"I don't know. There's too many of them, and they're too far away," Gary said. "We'll see her up close after the ceremony's over."

Rebecca and Jonathan made a game of guessing which graduate was Carly. When Carly's name was called and she walked to the front to receive her degree, they all cheered.

"Why did they all throw their caps up into the air, Mommy?" Rebecca asked after the ceremony was over.

"It's a tradition, honey. I'm not exactly sure how it got started," Cindy told her.

They waited with the other families at the stadium's exit, and at last Carly emerged, beaming.

"Well, congratulations, graduate!" Gary exclaimed, hugging her tightly.

"Thanks, Dad." Carly sounded as if she were about to cry.

Next it was Cindy's turn. "Congratulations, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you. I knew you could do it."

"Thank you, Cindy," Carly whispered.

Gary and Cindy took Carly out to a nice restaurant to celebrate her graduation, and then they went back to the motel to talk.

"I just can't decide what to do," Carly began. "Ben's going back to Oregon to work for his family's pharmacy, and he wants me to go with him, but it's such a small town, Dad. I doubt there's much demand for music teachers there. If I went back home with you two, I know I probably wouldn't have a problem getting a job, but I love Ben, and I'd miss him so much."

"Would you consider going to Oregon with Ben and taking a different kind of job until one for a music teacher opens up?" Gary asked her.

"That's one option," Carly agreed. "But how long might that take? And in the meantime, everything I've worked so hard for is just going to waste."

"Oh, honey, that's not true at all," Cindy protested. "An education is never a waste."

"Do you consider my premed degree to be a waste since I never worked as a doctor?" asked Gary.

"Well...yes. Don't you?"

"Not at all. I apply knowledge I received during those four years all the time."

"Oh...well, your situation was different."

"How so?"

"You never really wanted to be a doctor anyway. I _do _really want to be a music teacher."

"And so you shall be one someday."

"But I want Ben too. Why can't I have both?"

"Well, sweetie, that's just the way life is. It sometimes requires you to make difficult choices."

"But how do I know which choice is the right one?"

"Listen to your heart, Carly. That's what I've always done."

"But this is such a big decision, Dad. I really need some time to think it through first."

"Take all the time you need, Carly. There's no rush. And please remember that Cindy and I will support you no matter what you decide."

"Thanks." Carly smiled.

"What are your plans in the short term?"

"I'd like to go back home with you guys and spend a few days just thinking about it."

"And what are you going to tell Ben?"

"The same thing I've just told you guys. That it's too big of a decision to just rush into."

Gary patted Carly's shoulder. "Good luck, sweetie. I know you'll make the right choice."


	32. The World Wide Web

_A/N: This chapter crosses over slightly with the TV show 'thirtysomething' for any of you who may remember it. :)  
_

"Guess what!" Carly shouted excitedly as she walked into the living room where Gary and Cindy sat watching TV while the twins played with their Legos. "One of the synagogues in Ben's town needs a temporary part-time cantor for the rest of the summer. Their regular cantor is going on maternity leave, and they're not sure if she's even going to come back! Even if she does it would be great experience for me! I must mailed my resume in to them - wish me luck!"

"So you spoke to Ben this morning?" asked Cindy.

"No, he sent me an email about it."

"A _what?"_

"An email - electronic mail on the computer."

Cindy was instantly captivated. "How do you send electronic mail on a computer?"

Carly laughed. "Come on. I'll show you."

Cindy followed Carly into her bedroom, where Carly turned her computer on and briefly demonstrated how to check, compose, and send email.

"So it's that easy!" Cindy exclaimed.

"Yep. No stamps or stationery to buy, and the recipient receives the email immediately."

"I want an email address!"

Carly laughed and went to the site where she had received her own email address. "Of course, sending and receiving email is only one of the many things you can do on the Internet," Carly told Cindy.

"The _what?"_

"The Internet - the world wide web. Here, I'll show you." Carly positioned the mouse on a word on the screen. "This is called a 'search engine.' You use it to navigate the web. Anything you want to learn about, anything at all, it's all right here. What would you like to look up first?"

"Um...music?"

Carly entered the word 'music' in the space beside the search engine, clicked on the search engine, and instantly a highlighted list appeared on the screen.

"Wow!" Cindy exclaimed.

"Click on any of the highlighted words and you'll find a wealth of information," Carly told her. "And that's not all. There are newsgroups, chat rooms, message boards - the list just goes on and on."

"Chat rooms? Message boards?"

"You can communicate with anyone at all, anywhere in the world, instantly," Carly said.

Mesmerized, Cindy took over the mouse and began to explore the world wide web. It seemed to be an absolutely endless source of information and resources, far more than even a dozen libraries could hold.

"Hey, it's _my _computer." Carly's voice suddenly snapped Cindy back to reality, and Cindy turned to see Carly and Gary standing together a few feet away from her, laughing.

"I'm obviously going to have to buy a computer, and soon," Gary remarked.

With great reluctance Cindy managed to tear herself away from Carly's computer.

That night Cindy was so excited that she had a very difficult time going to sleep.

"Just imagine, Gary - all you could ever want to know about anything in the world, right there at your fingertips!"

"If I promise to buy you a computer tomorrow, will you please be quiet and go to sleep?" Gary groaned.

The next day Gary took Cindy shopping for a computer just as he had promised. Knowing almost nothing about electronics herself, Cindy let Gary take care of all the details of the purchase.

"This is going to cost you a couple of extra mornings a week of work at the radio station for a _loong _time," Gary told Cindy, but she knew that he was just teasing her.

At home Cindy waited impatiently as Gary set the computer up, and as soon as she could she went directly online. Lost in a world of her own, Cindy lost all sense of the passage of time until she heard Gary calling her. "Cindy...oh, Cindy..."

She turned to look at him.

"Are we having dinner tonight?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"Do you know what time it is?"

Cindy glanced at the clock and gasped. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry!"

As soon as the twins were bathed and tucked into bed, Cindy was right back online, surfing the web with gusto.

"What time are you coming to bed, Cindy?" asked Gary.

Cindy looked at the clock, then quickly turned the computer off and went to bed.

"I found this great online group for moms," Cindy told Gary a few days later. "I met this woman named Hope Steadman who lives in Pennsylvania, and she and I seem to have an incredible amount in common. She has a son named Leo who's only a year older than the twins and a daughter named Janie who's going into the fifth grade. She offered to send me some of Leo's outgrown clothes for Jonathan."

"That's nice." Gary sighed heavily.

"What's wrong?" asked Cindy.

Gary just shook his head sadly and walked away.

"Phone for you, Cindy," Carly called from the kitchen.

"I'll take it in the bedroom," Cindy told her. She picked up the receiver and heard her mother's voice.

"What's happened to you, Cindy? You seem to have literally dropped off the face of the earth lately!"

"Why, nothing, Mom." Cindy was puzzled. "I suppose I've just been busy lately."

"Too busy to take the twins to Justin's birthday party?"

"What birthday party?"

"Tracy said she sent you an invitation in the mail."

"I don't remember...let me check..."

Cindy went to the stack of mail and looked through it. Sure enough, halfway to the bottom of the stack, she found the still-unopened birthday party invitation. Eager to get back to the computer, she had tossed it on the stack of mail with barely a glance. Deeply ashamed, she returned to the phone.

"Tracy _did _send me an invitation," she told Carol. "I just never opened it."

"Why not?"

"I have no excuse except that I just didn't place enough importance on it to open it and see what it was," Cindy admitted. "I'll call Tracy and apologize right away."

"That's all right. Don't worry about it," Tracy said breezily when Cindy called her. "There will be other parties."

"Thank you for being so understanding," Cindy said.

"It's no problem at all," Tracy told her.

As soon as she was off the phone, Cindy burst into tears.

"What's wrong, Cyn?" Gary was there right away, embracing her, comforting her.

"Oh, Gary, I've been so wrong!" Cindy wailed miserably. "I've let the computer take over my entire life. Now the twins have missed their cousin's birthday party because of me."

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to realize that," Gary said wryly.

"Why didn't you get on to me about it, Gary?"

"I knew that nagging would do no good, that it was something you'd have to come to realize on your own."

"Can you ever forgive me?"

"Of course I forgive you. Everyone makes mistakes, and this was a perfectly understandable one."

"Oh, Gary, I love you so much!" Cindy threw her arms around her husband and hugged him as tightly as she could.

"I love you too, sweetheart." Gary chuckled and patted his wife's back.

"I promise, the computer's staying off for the rest of the night," Cindy vowed.

"Good." Gary smiled. "We can watch a movie together instead."

Cindy grinned. "That sounds like an excellent idea!"


	33. Meeting The Steadmans

_A/N: This chapter crosses over with 'thirtysomething' also._

**December 1996**

"So this is a friendship forged entirely over the Internet." Gary's eyes twinkled with amusement. "You've never even met these people in person, yet you want to get together with them in the park."

"I've been in touch with Hope for about six months now, and she seems to be such a sweet person. I really think you'll like her," Cindy said. The Steadmans were going to be staying in the area over the holidays, and Hope and Cindy had arranged to meet in the park with their husbands and children.

"Mommy, I can't find my other glove!" Rebecca called.

"That's all right, sweetheart. It isn't really cold enough for gloves anyway," Cindy told her.

"But I _want _it!" Rebecca primped up to cry.

"Don't cry, 'Becca." Jonathan patted his sister's arm in an attempt to comfort her.

At last the Greenbergs were ready to go, and they got in the car and headed for the park. The Steadmans were fairly easy to recognize. Michael and Hope were both tall and slender with dark hair and eyes, and ten-year-old Janie and five-year-old Leo had lighter brown hair and the same dark eyes.

"Hope!" Cindy rushed to embrace her new friend.

"I'm Gary." Gary shook Michael's hand.

Janie looked sulky. Leo stared at the twins, and Jonathan and Rebecca, holding hands, stared back at him.

"Your twins are so cute!" Hope gushed.

"Thank you. Your children are lovely as well," said Cindy.

Janie rolled her eyes. Rebecca walked up to her. "How old are you?" she asked.

"Ten."

"What are those things on your legs?" Leo asked Jonathan.

"My braces. They help me walk," Jonathan told him.

"I want braces on my legs too, Mommy!" Leo whined to his mother.

"Will you push me on the swing?" Rebecca asked Janie.

Janie shrugged. "Sure."

"Jonathan, why don't you and Leo go and play in the sandbox," Cindy suggested to her son. Jonathan took Leo's hand and led him to the sandbox.

"I love how our children seem to play together so well," Cindy said, watching Janie push Rebecca on the swing.

"She didn't want to come," Hope told Cindy. "I had to promise her a trip to the mall afterwards."

"So how do you and Michael handle the whole Christmas/Hanukkah issue?" Cindy asked Hope.

"It was difficult at first." Hope laughed. "It's funny, because neither of us were particularly observant until Janie was born. Then we fought over which tradition to raise her in. I put a Christmas tree up and Michael wouldn't speak to me for days. Then I borrowed Michael's cousin's menorah and put it up as well and everything was all right again."

"It was never really a problem for us," Cindy said. "We agreed from the start that we would raise the children in both traditions, and that's what we've done."

"How are your stepchildren?" asked Hope.

"Very well, thank you. Carly lives in Oregon now with her boyfriend Ben and works part-time as a cantor for a synagogue there. Jake's a sophomore in college and is staying with his grandparents in Miami until he finishes school."

"Was being a stepmother difficult for you at first?" asked Hope.

"It was a real challenge to win Jake and Carly over." Cindy chuckled. "Believe it or not, Carly idolized me before she found out that I was involved with her father. I worked as a DJ at Gary's radio station, and Carly loved to listen to me, sometimes even when she was supposed to be doing schoolwork." Cindy laughed at the memory of the trouble Carly had had in algebra at one time. "One day when we had been dating for awhile Gary invited them to the radio station to meet me. As soon as he told them that he was dating me, they ran back out. It took them both a while to get used to the idea of their father being with someone else other than their mother."

"Cindy tells me that you're in the advertising business," Gary said to Michael.

"Right. I was in business with my friend Elliott for awhile, and then that went belly up. I work for DAA now," Michael told him. "How's the music business coming?"

"Pretty good. Can't make heads or tails of some of this new music that's coming out. Whatever happened to the Rolling Stones and the Doors?" Both men laughed.

Cindy and Hope went to separate Leo and Jonathan, who were having a minor squabble in the sandbox. Rebecca had grown tired of swinging and was sitting on a bench with Janie, who was teaching her a rhyming game.

"Well, I think it's about time we headed back to the motel," Hope told Cindy. "It was lovely to meet you all, and if you're ever in the Pennsylvania area, please don't hesitate to look us up."

"Of course," Cindy told her. "It was wonderful to meet you all as well."

The two families said their good-byes and left the park.

"They seem like nice people," Gary said on the way home. "The Internet is sure making the world a smaller place, isn't it?"

"Janie's nice," said Rebecca from the back seat. "I want to go back and play with her again."

"Perhaps we can do that some day," Cindy told her. "Janie and her family live a long way from here, so it might be a long time before we see them again."

"Did you have fun, Jonathan?" Gary asked his son.

"He's asleep, Daddy," said Rebecca. Gary and Cindy both laughed.


	34. Kindergarten Registration

_A/N: This chapter is in tribute to Susan Olsen's real-life son who has Asperger's syndrome.  
_

**May 1997**

"This is Rebecca and Jonathan Greenberg. They'll be starting kindergarten in the fall," Cindy told the receptionist at the elementary school.

"Hi," said Rebecca, as Jonathan peeked shyly from behind his mother's legs.

"Hello there!" The receptionist smiled as she took both children's hands. "Come with me and you'll meet a nice lady who will do lots of fun things with you."

Cindy followed as the receptionist led the children into another room and told them to wait. A few minutes later a nurse appeared. She checked the children's weights and heights and tested their muscle strength, coordination, dexterity, and ability to do various physical tasks. Then she left and another woman appeared and introduced herself as Dr. Sims, the school's psychologist. She conducted intelligence tests on the children and told Cindy that she would let her know if anything was amiss.

"How did the kindergarten registration go?" Gary asked that evening.

"It took kind of a long time. There were a lot of tests," Cindy told him.

"What kinds of tests?"

"Jumping, skipping, things like that - and intelligence tests as well."

"How did those go?"

"Fine, as far as I know. Dr. Sims said she would let me know if anything was wrong."

Cindy herself felt that things had gone quite well and was genuinely surprised when Dr. Sims called her a few days later and said that she wanted to go over Jonathan's test scores with her.

"Is he not ready for kindergarten?" Cindy asked, her heart sinking.

"Oh, yes, he's definitely eligible to start in the fall," Dr. Sims quickly assured her. "It's just that some of his test scores were a bit unusual and I wanted to discuss the results with you."

Cindy was filled with trepidation as she quickly drove back to the elementary school. What was wrong with Jonathan? Whatever is was, could anything be done about it?

Fortunately, Dr. Sims got right to the point. "The IQ test is made up of two portions, the verbal portion and the non-verbal portion," she began. "Most children score equally well in both areas, but occasionally a child scores much higher in the verbal portion than in the non-verbal. As it turns out, Jonathan is one of those children. I'm recommending that he see a psychiatrist for further testing."

The psychiatrist, Dr. Wheeler, spent several hours putting Jonathan through more intensive testing and then spent a long time asking Cindy questions about her son's development.

"After reviewing all Jonathan's test results and considering the issues I've discussed with you, I've come to the conclusion that Jonathan has Asperger's syndrome," Dr. Wheeler told Cindy.

Cindy felt as if all the air had just been knocked out of her. Not only was something wrong, but it was serious enough to be considered a syndrome!

"I've never heard of that! What does it mean?"

"Asperger's syndrome is also known as high-functioning autism," Dr. Wheeler explained. "Children with Asperger's syndrome have normal or even above-normal IQ scores, but they tend to have both physical and emotional challenges. You stated that Jonathan has always tended to be clumsy and uncoordinated, that he hurts himself a lot and is accident prone. That's very typical of a child with Asperger's syndrome. You've also stated, and I've seen for myself, that Jonathan has poor social skills, that he's very shy and doesn't often make eye contact, which is also typical of a child with Asperger's syndrome."

"Are you saying that Jonathan's autistic?" Cindy felt numb all over, as if she had just been given devastating news.

"I'm saying that he has a condition that's on the autism _spectrum," _Dr. Wheeler gently corrected her. "Jonathan is actually very fortunate, as Asperger's syndrome has only been a diagnosable condition since 1994. In years past, children who had it were often misdiagnosed and given inappropriate treatment, or no treatment at all. They grew up to be lonely, unhappy adults who were unable to adjust to the world. Many have been in and out of psychiatric care for almost their entire lives and are still unable to function successfully."

"So is that most likely what will eventually become of Jonathan?"

"Oh, no, no." Dr. Wheeler laughed. "Thanks to early intervention, children with Asperger's syndrome can now live happy, successful lives."

Dr. Wheeler gave Cindy some literature about Asperger's syndrome to share with Gary before she left. She felt very anxious and confused as she drove home. She'd heard of autism before, of course, but never of Asperger's syndrome. It frightened and overwhelmed her to think that Jonathan had a serious disorder, that he wasn't completely normal and never would be.

"So, how did it go with the psychiatrist?" asked Gary when he got home. "Nothing seriously wrong, I hope."

"Oh, Gary." Suddenly the dam broke and Cindy was weeping hysterically. Alarmed, Gary went to her and held her.


	35. Sakura And Kristy

Cindy was crying so hard that for a long time she couldn't say anything at all. Deeply concerned, Gary held his wife as fantastic notions of Jonathan's possible diagnosis went through his mind. Brain tumor? Surgery?

"Jonathan has Asperger's syndrome!" Cindy finally managed to get out.

"I've heard of that." Gary nodded. "Autism Awareness is one of the groups the radio station donates commercial time to."

"So you know that it's a form of autism, then." Cindy was beginning to feel just a tiny bit better about the devastating news.

Gary nodded. "I've been noticing that Jonathan seems to have some of the traits of Asperger's syndrome for a while now. I didn't say anything about it to you because I didn't want you to worry needlessly in case I was wrong."

"What are we going to do?" Cindy's voice was small.

"We're going to keep on loving Jonathan and supporting him in every way we can, of course," Gary said.

"I'm scared, Gary. I've never known anyone with Asperger's syndrome before." Cindy buried her face in her hands.

"I know, sweetheart." Gary's voice was gentle as he took his wife into his arms. "We'll get through this together, somehow."

Later Cindy called her mother to tell her the news. Carol had, of course, never heard of Asperger's syndrome either, and so had dozens of questions about it. Cindy promised to bring over the literature the psychiatrist had given her. After settling the twins down for the night, Cindy attempted to look over the literature herself, but drowsiness soon overtook her, so she decided to put it off until another time.

A few days later Cindy received a phone call from Dr. Wheeler's nurse, Jeannie.

"I wanted to let you know about the support group for parents of children on the autism spectrum, in case you and your husband might want to attend," Jeannie said. It's the first Thursday of the month at six thirty in the evening, and child care is provided."

Gary and Cindy arrived at the support group meeting not sure what to expect, as they'd never been to anything like it before. They took Rebecca and Jonathan to the play area, where they saw perhaps ten or twelve children of varying ages, many of them near the twins' age, and then went to sit in the meeting room with the other adults.

"Hi, I'm Donna." A middle-aged woman smiled and shook hands with Gary and Cindy. "I started this support group about ten years ago when my son David was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. He's sixteen now and is doing very well in school. He takes almost all general education courses and wants to be a computer programmer someday."

"I love to play video games," interjected David, who sat beside his mother.

"It's nice to meet you all. We're Gary and Cindy Greenberg," Gary told the others. "I have two adult children from a previous marriage, and Cindy and I are the parents of twins, Rebecca and Jonathan. Jonathan was recently diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome during a pre-kindergarten screening."

"My name is Sakura," said a Japanese woman who was sitting across from Donna and David. "My husband is American sailor. I marry him and move back to his country with him. We have five-year-old daughter, Kristy. She is on autism spectrum as well."

"Is she going into kindergarten next year as well?" asked Cindy.

Sakura nodded.

"Maybe she'll be in Jonathan's class," said Cindy.

"Maybe." Sakura smiled.

"Well, what did you think?" Gary asked his wife on the way home.

"I feel a whole lot better now," Cindy told him. "At least I don't feel like we're the only ones anymore."

"Of course we're not." Gary grinned. "It does help to talk to people who are in the same situation, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does," Cindy agreed.

The twins celebrated their fifth birthday in June. Cindy invited Sakura and Kristy, and all the twins' younger cousins attended as well. Dylan was now seven, Holly was one and a half, Peyton was five, Preston was two, and Justin was not quite four.

"Big news," Tracy announced. "Justin's going to have a baby brother or sister in seven more months."

"That's wonderful, Tracy! Congratulations!" Cindy gave her sister-in-law a big hug. "How's Bobby's new job going?" Bobby had recently received his bachelor's degree in social work and taken his first job as a counselor.

"Just fine, so far," Tracy replied. "He's says it's a really good feeling to be able to help people who are in the same position he himself once was."

Wendy, Jan, and Tracy were, of course, curious about where Cindy had met Sakura, which meant that she had to tell them about Jonathan's diagnosis. Cindy had been very nervous about doing that, as she feared what their reactions might be. To her relief, all three of them were very understanding and supportive.

"Dylan had a classmate last year with that same diagnosis," Wendy said.

"It looks like Peyton's made a new friend," Jan commented, nodding to where Peyton, Rebecca, and Kristy were busily playing in the sandbox.

"I am so happy for Kristy to have new friends," said Sakura. "Thank you very much for inviting us to party, Cindy."

"It's no problem at all." Cindy smiled warmly at her new friend. "I'm so glad you could come."


	36. Tender Hearted Jonathan

**August 1997**

"Relax, hon." Gary laughed and patted Cindy's shoulder. "It's not like they're going to Timbuktu."

"Well, it sure feels that way," Cindy replied.

"Mommy, what's Timbuktu?" asked Rebecca.

"Where Santa Claus spends summers," Gary told her. "But you wouldn't want to go there, because it's way too crowded."

"Daddy, you're silly!" Rebecca laughed. Gary grinned.

It was the first day of kindergarten for the twins. Cindy thought that they both looked so tiny dressed in their slightly-too-large new clothes and wearing their backpacks. Jonathan stood silently with an expression of deep concern on his face. Rebecca skipped around happily with a big grin.

"They'll be fine." Gary embraced his wife and kissed her cheek.

"Easy for you to say," Cindy told him. "You've been there before."

"All the better for you, as you benefit from my experience," Gary replied.

Soon the bus arrived, and Cindy hugged and kissed each child and told them good-bye. Gary left for work right afterwards, and Cindy returned to the empty house alone, feeling a bit surreal.

The plan had been for Cindy to return to work at the radio station full time when the twins entered kindergarten. Cindy had volunteered to begin the day they started school, but Gary had talked her into postponing it for a day, knowing full well that she would be a bundle of nerves wondering how the twins, especially Jonathan, were faring.

Unable to bear the total silence, Cindy turned the radio on and heard the voice of Sonya, the woman Gary had hired to fill in for Cindy part time when Cindy had cut back on her work hours after the twins had been born. Sonya's hours would have to be readjusted as well, of course. Cindy felt just a little bit guilty about that but still felt that she was doing the right thing by going back to work full time. Sonya had been very kind and supportive of Cindy's decision and hadn't seemed to mind that her own hours would be cut.

To Cindy's amazement, the morning passed swiftly. She did a few household chores and ran a couple of errands, and before she knew it, it was lunch time. A couple of hours later, she was standing at the bus stop with several other mothers who lived on her street.

At last the bus arrived. The assistant helped Jonathan down the steps and into his mother's arms, and then Rebecca and the other children followed.

"We played 'The Farmer In The Dell'!" Rebecca exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly.

"That's wonderful!" Cindy told her, kneeling so that she could make eye contact with Jonathan. "Did you have a good first day of school, Jonathan?"

The little boy frowned. "Nobody played with me at recess," he complained.

"Did you ask anyone to play with you?"

"No."

"Well, tomorrow at recess, ask one of the other little boys to play with you," Cindy suggested.

"But he might say no," Jonathan said.

"But he might _not _say no. You'll never know until you ask, will you?"

"I guess not." Jonathan grinned. "I want to go play with my trains now. I'll bet they missed me."

Cindy was kept busy filling out the plethora of paperwork that had come home with the twins until it was time to prepare dinner.

"Well, how did everything go?" asked Gary when he returned home.

"Rebecca had a really good day. Jonathan said nobody played with him at recess. I told him to ask someone to play with him tomorrow."

"Listen to your mom. She's smart," Gary told his son, playfully rumpling the little boy's hair.

The next morning, Cindy rode to the radio station with Gary as soon as the twins were on the way to school.

"This feels so strange," she told Gary.

"You'll get used to it," he assured her.

The other radio station employees greeted Cindy warmly as she returned to her work station.

"Hmm...never even heard of them," she mumbled to herself when she saw the first song on her playlist. Glancing quickly at the rest of the list, she realized that she was unfamiliar with about half the artists on it. Undaunted, she forged ahead, determined to make the day a success. It seemed almost no time at all before Gary approached her.

"Hot dogs in the park, for old times' sake?" he asked.

"Sure!" Cindy was happy for the chance to take a break.

"Popular music has certainly changed," she commented on the way to the park.

Gary laughed. "I've been telling you that for a long time now."

The afternoon flew by even more quickly than the morning had, and on the way home Cindy realized that she couldn't wait to see her children again.

"How was recess?" she asked Jonathan.

"Another little boy fell down and skinned his knee. Some other boys were laughing at him and calling him a crybaby. I helped him stand up, and we ended up playing together. His name's Andy and he's really nice."

"You have such a tender heart, Jonny," Gary told his son with an approving smile.

"He reminds me so much of you," Cindy remarked.

The rest of the afternoon passed pleasantly, and Cindy,who was more tired than usual, fell asleep quickly that night.


	37. Carly's Wedding

_A/N: Denny and Darya Phillips are also characters in my story 'Summer Of My Russian Sailor' except that in that story they are only eighteen and are just meeting one another for the first time._

**June 1998**

"Mommy, why is Carly getting married?" asked Rebecca. The family was in the car on the way to the park where's Carly's wedding was to be performed. They had made the two-day journey to Oregon, where Carly was going to marry her long-time boyfriend, Ben Levin. The two of them had been living together for a couple of years and had finally decided that they were ready to make their relationship more permanent.

"Carly and Ben love one another, and sometimes when two people love one another very much, they decide to get married so that everyone else will know that they want to spend the rest of their lives together," Cindy explained.

"Just like you and Daddy?" asked Rebecca.

"That's right!" Cindy smiled.

"Well, here we are," Gary said as he parked the car.

"Why are Ben and Carly getting married under a tent?" Jonathan asked loudly.

"Sh! It's called a chuppah, and it's a Jewish tradition," Gary whispered.

"Dad! Cindy!" Carly exclaimed, embracing first Gary, then Cindy. She was beautiful in her frilly white wedding gown, and with her face shining with happiness, she was positively radiant. Since she had moved to Oregon, Gary and Cindy rarely saw her except on holidays.

"Dad! Cindy!" called a deeper voice, and they turned to see Jake's smiling face. At twenty-one, he was a tall, good-looking man who bore more than a passing resemblance to his father. He was a junior in college in Miami, and he had flown to Oregon for his sister's wedding with his Stern grandparents and his Uncle Phil and his family.

"It's great to see you again, Jake!" Cindy told him. He hugged them both, then said hello to the twins.

"You know Ben's parents, Rose and Bill, and his sister Stephanie," Carly continued. Bill was a tall man with salt-and-pepper hair, spectacles, and a mustache, and Rose was a grandmotherly-looking type with curly bleach-blonde hair and a maternal smile. Stephanie was a tall, slender brunette who looked bored.

"How do you do," Gary and Cindy said to the Levins.

"This is my best friend, Darya Phillips, and her husband Denny." Carly introduced Gary and Cindy to a tall man with dark blonde hair and an obviously pregnant blue-eyed brunette.

"Is very nice to meet you." Darya's smile lit up her whole face.

"Don't tell me, let me guess. You're from Sweden, right?" Gary asked her.

"Not even close." Darya laughed. "Russian Federation."

"Really? My grandmother immigrated from Russia when she was a child," Gary said. "We may be distantly related somehow."

"Maybe." Darya laughed.

"Did you come to the U.S. as an exchange student?" Cindy wanted to know.

"Oh, no," Darya told her. "I come to United States of America when I was eighteen because my father was on vacation here. He came to find his friend from a long time ago. Her name was Alison, and he knew her before he met my mother. He was here for little while, met her, then have to go back. After awhile he met my mother, marry her, they have me. My mother, she got cancer and die. Many years later, my father come back, find Alison again. They fall in love and get married. Denny is Alison's son, I fall in love with him and we get married too, four years ago."

"What a sweet story!" Cindy exclaimed. "It's so romantic!"

"Your kids are so cute! Are they twins?" asked Darya.

"Thank you, and yes, they are," Cindy replied. "This is Rebecca, and this is Jonathan. They just finished kindergarten. When's your baby due?"

"October," Darya said. "It will be the first grandchild for both my father and Denny's mother."

"I come from a family of six, three boys and three girls," Cindy said. "My parents have...let's see...fourteen grandchildren in all."

"Wow, that's a lot!" Denny chuckled. "How do they keep up with all the birthdays?"

"It's a bit of a challenge, I'm sure, but they never forget any of us," Cindy laughed.

It was just about time for the ceremony to begin, so everyone became quiet. As Cindy watched her stepdaughter exchange vows with her groom, she was transported back in time to her own wedding eight years previously. To her it seemed not so terribly long ago, although so much had happened since that day. She looked at Gary and saw that, to her surprise, there were tears in his eyes.

The ceremony was followed by music, dancing, and mounds and mounds of food. Everything looked so delicious that Cindy had to really restrain herself for fear of looking like a pig. She and Gary chatted some more with the Levins and their other guests, and then Rebecca and Jonathan became restless so they drove back to the motel.

"You can't imagine how hard that was for me," Gary told Cindy when they were back at the motel. "I feel as though, in a way, I've lost her."

"But you didn't really lose her," Cindy assured him. "She just grew up, that's all."

"I know," Gary said. "It's just that a part of me wishes that I could keep her with me forever."

"My mom must have felt the same way about me when we got married," Cindy mused.

"I suppose everyone does." Gary sighed. "It just goes with the territory, I guess."

"At least I won't have to worry about it for a long time yet," Cindy observed as she watched the twins chase one another around the motel room.

"I know it sounds selfish, but a part of me wishes that they'd just stay little forever," Gary said.

"If they did, then we'd never get to see them grow up," Cindy pointed out.

"You can always think of just the right thing to say to cheer me up." Gary grinned.

"It's one of my many talents." Cindy laughed.


	38. Jan's Loss

"You'll never guess what just happened with Jessica," Marcia told Jan and Cindy. The three sisters had gotten together for lunch at the food court at the mall one day after school had started back.

"What?" asked Jan.

"I just found out she's been staying in school only until after roll call and then sneaking out to spend the morning with her boyfriend!" Marcia exclaimed.

Jan and Cindy gasped.

"Oh, no!" Cindy exclaimed. "What are you going to do?"

"She's grounded indefinitely, of course, and forbidden from associating with her boyfriend at all," Marcia replied. "She's very angry and threatening to run away. I told her that if she tries, I'll get the juvenile authorities involved. I'm also making her go to a counselor. I drive her there, wait in the waiting room, and drive her back to make sure she stays the whole time."

"I hope the counseling helps her," Cindy said. "How's your pregnancy coming along, Jan?"

"I'm ready for it to be over with." All three women laughed. "I feel like I've been pregnant forever!"

After giving birth to Peyton and adopting Patty and Preston, Jan had considered her family complete when, to her great shock and delight, she'd become pregnant again eight months previously.

"You see your OB again soon, don't you?" asked Marcia.

"Tomorrow," Jan told her. "I go once a week now."

"So, how did lunch go?" Gary asked Cindy that evening.

"It went all right," Cindy told him. "Marcia's been having a truancy problem with Jessica. She's been spending time with her boyfriend instead of going to school. Marcia has her in counseling now. Jan has another doctor's appointment tomorrow. She goes once a week now."

"Is everything still going OK?"

"I guess so. She didn't mention anything being wrong."

Cindy didn't give much thought to Jan or her pregnancy the next day, so she was genuinely surprised to receive an unexpected phone call from her sister at about nine thirty that night.

"The baby's g-gone, Cindy," Jan sobbed.

"What!" Cindy exclaimed, so loudly that Gary looked at her curiously.

"I didn't feel the baby move all morning," Jan told her. "When I got to my doctor's appointment, the doctor couldn't find a heartbeat, so he did an ultrasound. That's when he told me the baby's d-dead." Jan began sobbing loudly again.

"Oh, no!" Cindy groaned. "What happened?"

"He thinks it was a problem with the umbilical cord," Jan said.

"So is he going to induce labor?"

"N-no. He said it would be better to let labor start on its own, as long as it's within a couple of days."

Cindy was numb with shock as she hung up. Her heart ached for Jan. She couldn't imagine the pain her sister must be feeling.

"The baby's dead," she said in response to Gary's unspoken inquiry. "She found out at her doctor's appointment yesterday. The doctor thinks there was a problem with the umbilical cord. They're going to wait for her to go into labor on her own."

"I'm so very sorry." Gary took both Cindy's hands into his own and gazed tenderly into her eyes.

"So am I," Cindy said. "I just can't believe it. Nothing like this has ever happened in my family before."

She clung to Gary extra tightly that night.

* * *

Jan's labor started two days later. Marcia and Cindy sat with Mike and Carol in the waiting room at the hospital. Carol sobbed inconsolably. Marcia and Cindy sat staring with glazed eyes.

At last Philip emerged from the room with a somber expression on his face. "It's over," he said quietly.

"Is she all right?" Carol asked anxiously. Philip nodded curtly.

"Can we go in and see her now?" asked Marcia. Philip nodded again.

The three women entered to find Jan lying perfectly still in bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Oh, Jan." Carol reached to hug her daughter, and the two women sobbed together.

"He was perfect," Jan told her mother and sisters. "They asked me if I wanted to see him. At first I said no because I was afraid it would be really bad. But then Philip said that I really should so I said all right. He was beautiful, Mom. Perfect in every way, just like Peyton was when she was born. The cord was wrapped around his neck three times. That was what killed him."

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," said Carol. She and Marcia and Cindy stayed and comforted Jan and Philip for most of that day.

That evening Gary silently came to Cindy and put his arms around her and held her for a long time. She gratefully rested her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you," she said after awhile. "I feel so much better now."

"What's wrong, Mommy?" asked Rebecca.

"Something very sad happened today," Cindy told her. "You know how your Aunt Jan had a baby inside her that was going to come out soon? Well, the baby came out today, but it went to heaven."

"What's so sad about that? Heaven's a nice place!"

"Well, your Aunt Jan and Uncle Philip are very sad because they wanted the baby to stay and live with them instead of going to heaven."

"Why?"

Cindy sighed and looked helplessly at her husband.

"Do you remember when your friend Savannah moved to Georgia?" Gary asked his daughter. Rebecca nodded.

"Do you remember how sad you felt because you couldn't go to visit her and play with her anymore?" Rebecca nodded again.

"Well, that's what it's like when someone goes to heaven," Gary said. "Even though we know they're in a nice place, we still feel sad because we miss them and wish that they were still here with us."

"Oh," said Rebecca, but she looked like she still didn't understand.

* * *

The funeral was several days later. Cindy's next-door neighbor generously offered to keep the twins so that both Gary and Cindy could go.

It was one of the saddest events Cindy had ever attended. She sat staring at the tiny white casket and thinking that there shouldn't even be a need for caskets that small to exist. After it was over, everyone went to Philip and Jan's house, where the table was laden with food. Cindy was pleased to see her cousin Rhonda, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

"We should get together more often," Rhonda said.

"We really should," Cindy agreed. "How are your sons?"

"They're fine! Brandon's a senior this year. Hopes to get a football scholarship to college. Tyler's a freshman. He had a little trouble adjusting to high school, but he's fine now. How are yours?"

"They're doing fine as well. Carly's a music teacher and part-time cantor in Oregon. She got married this past June. Jake's in college in Miami. The twins are in first grade this year. How's Chris?"

"We got divorced two years ago. We share custody of the boys."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Cindy told her.

"That's all right." Cindy and Rhonda chatted for a few more minutes, and then Rhonda left.

"I need to get back to the twins," Cindy told Jan shortly afterwards. "Are you going to be all right?"

"I'll be fine." Jan smiled bravely. Cindy gave her a quick hug and then left with Gary.

When they stopped by the neighbor's house to pick the twins up, Cindy thought she'd never been so happy to see them.


	39. Playing Cupid

_A/N: This chapter is rather short, but I just wanted something kind of light and cheerful after that incredibly sad last chapter..._

"You never did meet my cousin Rhonda, did you?" Cindy asked Gary later that evening.

"No, I never did, but I do remember you telling me about her," Gary replied.

"I just met up with her again at Jan and Philip's house after the funeral," Cindy told him. "She's been divorced for a couple of years now, and both her sons are in high school."

"Is that so?" Gary looked thoughtful. "Hey, Cyn, remember my brother Jason?"

"The one who left his wife of almost twenty years for the twenty-five-year-old."

"Ah...yes. That one." Gary chuckled slightly. "Believe me, Cyn, he's a different man now. He still bitterly regrets what he did to Debbie. He's sad a lot of the time now. I think a new relationship would be just what he needs to pull him out of the funk he's in."

"So, are you suggesting that we try to get Jason and Rhonda together?"

"Why not? I think they'd be good for each other."

"But what if it went badly? I wouldn't want Rhonda to end up hating me!"

"Well, I'm taking the same risk with Jason, aren't I?"

"He can't hate you, Gary. He's your brother!"

"Well, doesn't the same law apply to cousins?"

"I'm not sure. I've never thought of it that way before." Cindy frowned. "All right. I'll ask Rhonda if she'd like to meet Jason. Maybe we could have them both over for dinner Friday night."

* * *

"Cindy! Hi! How are you?" Rhonda sounded surprised but happy to hear from her cousin.

"I'm doing good. How are you?"

"Hanging in there. So, what's up?"

"Well, I was wondering...actually, Gary and I were both wondering...how would you like to come over for dinner Friday night?"

"Well...sure, that sounds fine. I'm pretty sure I'm free that night."

Cindy took a deep breath. "That's great! Gary's inviting his brother Jason over as well."

Rhonda was silent for a long time. Cindy began to worry that perhaps she was doing the wrong thing.

"Cindy...are you trying to set me up?" Rhonda finally asked.

"Well...it's just that Gary and I thought you might enjoy getting to know each other," Cindy told her.

"So...tell me about this Jason."

"He's two years older than Gary, he's an attorney, he's been divorced for about five years, and he has two college-aged sons."

"An attorney. Hmm." Cindy could almost hear Rhonda mulling it over in her mind. "Great! I'll be there!"

* * *

"Relax, hon. Everything's going to be fine." Gary massaged his wife's shoulders comfortingly. It was Friday night, and Cindy had cooked her specialty, lasagna, and made a tossed salad to go with it. Mike and Carol were babysitting Rebecca and Jonathan, so it would be just the four adults.

Jason arrived first, dressed to the nines and looking very nervous.

"Come on in," Gary told his brother. "Have a seat."

"You know, it's been a while since I've done this," Jason said.

"Well, I'm glad you could make it," Cindy said warmly. "My cousin's really nice. I'm sure you'll like her."

Rhonda arrived a few minutes later, and Cindy introduced her to Jason.

"How do you do." Jason smiled and shook her hand. "It's wonderful to meet you."

"It's very nice to meet you as well." Rhonda smiled and blushed slightly.

"So, what do you do?" asked Jason.

"I'm a secretary for an architectural firm," Rhonda told him. "Cindy mentioned that you're an attorney."

"Yes. Right now I'm in contract law."

"How fascinating! I'll bet you get to meet lots of famous actors and actresses!"

"I've met a few." Jason smiled modestly.

Conversation over dinner proceeded smoothly. Rhonda asked Jason about his clients, many of whom she'd heard, and they both talked at length about their children.

"They grow up so fast, don't they?" Rhonda remarked.

"Much too fast," Jason quickly agreed. "My sons have lived in Brooklyn with their mom for the past five years or so, and I only see them occasionally, and every time I do see them, I'm always amazed by how much older they look."

"Thank you so much for inviting me over," Rhonda told Cindy at the end of the visit. "I really enjoyed it."

"I'd love to see you again sometime, if that's all right with you," Jason told Rhonda.

"Sure! That sounds great!" Rhonda replied. They both exchanged contact information.

"That really felt good, didn't it?" Gary asked Cindy after both their guests had left.

"I'm relieved that it went as well as it did," Cindy agreed.

As they left to pick up the twins, Cindy really did feel happy for Jason and Rhonda and hoped that they would continue to get along well.


	40. A Peek Into Carly's Life

**June 1999**

"It's so good to see you again!" Carly exclaimed as she hugged her good friend, Darya Phillips. She and Ben had traveled to Gloucester, Massachusetts to visit Darya and her husband Denny, whom they hadn't seen since their wedding the previous summer.

"Is wonderful to see you as well," said Darya.

"So this is Joshua!" Carly exclaimed, holding her arms out to the pudgy blond toddler, who turned to hide his face in his mother's shirt.

"He is shy," Darya explained.

"How old is he now?" asked Carly.

"He just turned eleven months," Darya said.

"Miss Carly is friend," she told her young son, who turned to stare at Carly with big, round blue eyes.

"He's adorable!" Carly exclaimed.

"Doesn't it make you want one of your own?" Denny teased.

"Perhaps in a few years," said Ben.

The group walked out of the airport to Denny and Darya's car, and Denny drove to their small home.

"You don't mind sleeping on the sofa, do you?" Denny asked when they arrived. "I'm sorry, but we don't have a guest bedroom."

"That's fine," Ben assured him. Fortunately, the sofa folded out into a double bed, so there was plenty of room for two people to sleep on it.

The adults sat around talking and watching little Joshua's antics for awhile, and then Denny asked if Ben and Carly would like to go for a walk on the beach.

"Oh, yes!" Carly exclaimed. "I'm sure it's really different from the beaches in Southern California."

The adults all put their swimsuits on, Darya put Joshua's swimming trunks on him, and the group set out.

"I was right," Carly said. "The beach here _is _really different. It's lovely, though!"

Little Joshua ran in and out of the waves laughing.

"Would you like for me to make a sand castle with you?" Carly asked him. "I used to do that with my brother and sister when they were little."

"I'm afraid he wouldn't have the patience for that," Denny laughed.

"How old are your brother and sister now?" asked Darya.

"They just turned seven. They'll start second grade in August." Carly showed Denny and Darya a recent photo of Rebecca and Jonathan.

"Oh, they're so cute!" Darya exclaimed.

"Thank you," said Carly.

The group went to the Oyster Bar for dinner and then roasted marshmallows over a fire in the back yard.

On the second day of their visit, Ben and Carly met Darya's father, Alexei, Denny's mother, Alison, and their five-year-old daughter, Daisy.

"So how did you guys ever meet?" Carly asked Alexei and Alison.

"Alexei was on a Soviet submarine that accidentally ran aground on the beach and got stuck in the sand," Alison told her. "When they asked for help, everyone thought that the island was under attack."

"That's crazy!" Ben exclaimed.

"This was in 1966, when everybody was afraid of the Russians," Alison explained. "Anyway, I was babysitting little Annie Whittaker when suddenly I saw Alexei standing there on the porch holding a gun. He'd hurt his head, and it was bleeding. I took him back into the house and bandaged his wound and gave him something to eat. He had to leave with the submarine not too long after that, but I never forgot him, and many years later, he was finally able to come back."

"So you had to wait a really long time to see each other again," said Carly.

"But Alison was worth it," said Alexei. "I never met a girl like her before. I come to her country unwelcome guest, she show me kindness and hospitality. I never forget that."

"But you both ended up married to other people," Ben pointed out.

"I meet Nadya a few years later. She is teacher of ballet. I go to fix her computer. She is beautiful and nice as well. I fall in love with her, she is right there and available, what else can I do?"

"It was pretty much the same way for me," said Alison. "I missed Alexei for awhile, and then I got used to the idea that he wasn't coming back. One night I went roller skating and Dennis picked me for a couples' skate. I thought he was just about the cutest guy I'd ever met, besides Alexei, of course. We started going out a lot after that, and I never saw him again."

"That's terrible!" Carly gasped. "So you had to go through pregnancy, delivery, and motherhood all alone!"

"Yes," said Alison. She looked very sad. Alexei laid a comforting hand on her knee.

"So when did you guys ever get back together again?" asked Ben.

"After a few years, Nadya get cancer and die," said Alexei. "For a long time, I am single father. Then government change, finally I can get exit visa, right away I want to come to Gloucester. I think that perhaps I see Alison again. I tell myself, probably she is married now, so I will just see her again one more time, exchange greetings, I will wish her well, and then we will each go on with our lives. But that was before I knew that she was just like me, single parent with child, have to be both mother and father. When I find that out, I say to myself, I have second chance with Alison, would be a fool to let her go again."

"And you've been together since then." Carly smiled.

"It was a while before we got married, though," said Alison.

"First I have to have green card, then get job and house. Have to do things in proper order." Alexei chuckled.

"Then it was a really long time before I got pregnant," Alison continued. "They told me that my eggs were too old, that I'd have to use donor eggs. I hesitated because I didn't think I'd feel like it was really my child. By some miracle, I got pregnant anyway."

"Then one day I come home from work and find her unconscious," Alexei added. "I call ambulance, rush her to hospital. They say she have eclampsia. They have to take the baby right away."

'She was so tiny," Alison said. "Twenty-seven weeks, barely over a pound. For a long time, we didn't even know whether or not she'd live, or if she did, how normal a life she'd have."

"Look at her now. Beautiful!" Alexei said. "Look just like her mother."

"We were very fortunate," Alison agreed. "Except for a few minor developmental delays, Daisy's perfectly normal."

Alison and Alexei visited for awhile longer and then went back home.

"What an amazing story!" Carly said to Ben as they were getting ready for bed.

"That was really something, all right," Ben agreed.

"It made me cry just a little bit. Did it make you cry, Ben?"

"Of course not."

"Liar." She giggled as she watched him wipe the tears from his eyes.


	41. A New Century

**December 31, 1999**

"I don't know what time we'll be home," Cindy told the babysitter. "You have my parents' number in case anything happens."

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Shana, the babysitter, replied.

Mike and Carol were having a party to celebrate the beginning of the new century, and all their children and their spouses were planning to attend. Cindy looked forward to seeing her siblings and in-laws again.

The party was already getting underway when Gary and Cindy arrived. Greg, Nora, Wally, and Marcia had arrived ahead of them. Cindy was pleased to see that Marcia appeared to be sticking with the nonalcoholic punch.

"How are Jessica and Micky?" Cindy asked her.

"They're fine," said Marcia. "Jessica graduates this year. Micky's learning to drive."

"Has she started applying for colleges yet?"

Marcia shook her head. "She's just going to the community college. She wants to be a cosmetologist. How are the twins?"

"Doing just fine," Cindy told her. "They're in second grade now. Jonathan's in the gifted program in math, and he's also doing very well in his other classes. Rebecca's in Brownies, and she's really enjoying that."

Soon Peter and Wendy arrived.

"Does Holly still like Brownies?" Cindy asked Wendy. Holly was in Rebecca's Brownie troop.

"Oh, yes," Wendy told her. "She just lost her first tooth not long ago, so we got to play tooth fairy for the first time."

"We still have all the teeth the twins have ever lost, in special containers in our top dresser drawer," said Cindy.

"Although what on earth they could ever want with a bunch of teeth, nobody knows," Gary chuckled.

Phil and Jan arrived next.

"You look wonderful," Cindy said, giving her older sister a hug.

"Thank you," Jan said quietly. "We went to the cemetery to put flowers on the baby's grave after we left here Christmas day. It was really peaceful out there. We could hear birds singing the whole time we were there."

Bobby and Tracy showed up a little bit later.

"How's counseling going?" Gary asked his brother-in-law.

"You know, I never would have imagined it, but I've found my dream job," Bobby told him. "When I can give hope to someone who thinks all hope is gone for them, well, that's just the greatest feeling in the world."

"How are Justin and Kristen?" Cindy asked Tracy.

"They're doing great!" Tracy said with a smile. "Justin made the honor roll again. Kirsten's so proud that she can wear big girl panties now."

Cindy glanced at the clock and saw that, to her surprise, it was already eleven thirty.

"Wow! In less than an hour, it'll be another century," she said to Gary.

"We'll ring it in together," Gary said softly, kissing her lips.

Together the family gathered around the clock to watch the last few minutes of the twentieth century tick away.

"Ten...nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two...one...hurray!" everyone shouted, lifting their glasses.

"As we begin this new century, may we look back fondly on the past and remember lessons learned while looking forward to enjoying many more happy times together with our loved ones," Mike Brady announced, and everyone cheered.

The family stayed together for a while longer, eating and drinking and chatting, until a telephone call changed everything.

Carol answered it, then handed it to Marcia, who listened for a moment, then gasped and turned pale.

"That was the police," she announced after setting the telephone receiver back down. "They've got Jessica, Tyler, Josh, and Ariel. Tyler was driving and crashed into a telephone pole. His blood alcohol level tested above the legal limit for intoxication. The others had been drinking, too. The back seat was full of empty bear cans. Wally and I will have to go pick Jessica up."

"Jeff and Melissa are in Las Vegas, so I'll have to take responsibility for Ariel," said Gary.

He and Cindy got into their car and followed Wally and Marcia to the police station.

"That's _so _typical of Melissa," Gary grumbled. "Just run off to have fun and leave me to pick up the pieces behind her."

Cindy didn't say anything. She didn't care much for Gary's sister but refused to say anything critical about any of his family members in his presence.

At last they all arrived at the police station. Jessica's boyfriend Tyler had been arrested and charged with DUI, and Jessica, Ariel, and Ariel's boyfriend Josh stood sullenly waiting to be picked up.

"You're coming with me, young lady," Gary said through his teeth, grabbing his niece's arm.

"Let _go _of me!" Ariel snapped angrily, jerking her arm out of Gary's grasp. Gary sighed and shook his head.

Ariel followed Gary and Cindy out to their car, and Gary drove back home. By the time they arrived, it was nearly four in the morning.

"I'm so sorry," Cindy said to Shana. "Something very unexpected came up."

"That's all right," Shana said with a smile. "The twins have been fine. They tried to sit up until midnight but didn't make it."

"Thank you so much," said Cindy, handing Shana an extra twenty dollars.

"I want to go home!" Ariel demanded.

"Well, I'm not taking you there," Gary told her. "You're staying right here with us until your parents get back home. Your mother may believe in leaving you unsupervised, but I sure don't."


	42. Ariel

"I'll run away!" Ariel threatened.

"Would you rather stay at Juvenile Hall than with us?" Gary asked her. "You can't run away from there. They have guards."

Ariel scowled as she followed Gary and Cindy into the house. Rebecca now had Carly's old bedroom, and Jonathan had Jake's, so Gary told Ariel to take the room that used to be the nursery but was now used as a guest bedroom. Ariel stalked into the bedroom and slammed the door behind her.

She was still in a foul mood the following morning, but Rebecca and Jonathan were excited to see their cousin again.

"Hey, Ariel, what are you doing here?" Rebecca asked.

"Your dad thinks that just because my parents are out of town, I should be treated like a baby," Ariel told her.

"You _are _still a minor, Ariel," Gary reminded her.

"Not for much longer," Ariel muttered.

"Well, as soon as you turn eighteen, you can stay wherever you please and with whomever you please," Gary told her. "I just hope that by then you've acquired just a little more common sense than you have now."

"Want to watch Nickelodeon with me?" Rebecca asked Ariel after breakfast.

"Not in particular," Ariel mumbled.

"Please?" begged Rebecca.

"Oh, all _right," _Ariel sighed.

Things went smoothly through lunchtime, but after lunch, Josh called for Ariel, and she talked to him for over two hours.

Cindy pulled Gary into the hallway. "She can't just tie up my phone for hours like that," she whispered. "What if _I _need to use it?"

"Fifteen more minutes, Ariel," Gary yelled into the living room. Ariel ignored him.

"I don't know how much of this I can take, Gar." Cindy put her arms around her husband and rested her head on his chest.

"Jeff and Melissa will be back in just a couple of days," Gary said consolingly, rubbing her back.

Ariel's parents arrived to pick her up the night before the school's spring term started. Melissa was furious.

"You're grounded for the next six months. And you're _never _to see Josh Coleman again!" she snarled, grabbing her daughter by the ear and pulling her toward their car.

"Aw, Mom!" Ariel whined.

Gary waited until they were gone, then laughed and shook his head.

* * *

Later, Cindy read the twins a bedtime story and tucked them each into bed.

"I don't wanna go back to school tomorrow, Mama," Jonathan said as she was tucking him in.

"Why not, sweetheart?" asked Cindy.

"School's too crowded and noisy. I like being home with just you and Daddy and Becky."

"But don't you want to see your friends again? You haven't seen them in two weeks!"

"Well, I guess so." Jonathan looked thoughtful. "There's this girl in my class named Bethany, and she's really pretty."

"That's nice. When you see her again, maybe you can ask her what Santa brought her for Christmas."

"Yeah. And I can tell her about Hanukkah, too. I'll bet she's probably never even heard of it."

"I'll bet you just might be right." Cindy chuckled. She kissed her son's forehead and started to leave his bedroom.

"Mama?" Jonathan called just before she switched the light off.

"Yes?"

"How come more people know about Christmas than about Hanukkah?"

"Because where we live, there are more Christian people than Jewish people."

"Where do most Jewish people live?"

"Jewish people live everywhere, just like Christian people do, but the country that has the very most Jewish people would probably be Israel."

"Where's that?"

"In the Middle East, close to Egypt, where the Pharaohs lived."

"Is that where Daddy was born?"

Cindy laughed. "No, sweetheart. Your Daddy was born in Brooklyn, New York, but his distant ancestors might have lived in Israel a long time ago."

"I want to go there some day. I want to meet some other kids like me and Becky, 'cept we're part Christian, too. Mama, are there other kids like me and Becky that are part Jewish and part Christian?"

"Of course there are." Cindy laughed. "Stop talking and go to sleep now."

Cindy told Gary about the conversation she'd had with Jonathan, and he thought it was simply hilarious.


	43. Rebecca's Arm

"I can't believe how quickly this year is flying by!" Cindy exclaimed to her friend, Sakura. "Here it is, almost Easter already!"

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and Cindy and Sakura had brought the twins and Sakura's daughter, Kristy, to the park for a play date.

"You have another holiday as well at about the same time as Easter, yes?" asked Sakura.

"Right," said Cindy. "We have Passover with Gary's family and then Easter with mine. Do people in Japan celebrate Easter, Sakura?"

"Most Japanese are Shintoist, so they do not celebrate Easter. My own family is Catholic, so yes, we do celebrate it," Sakura told her.

Just then Rebecca fell from the top of the jungle gym. Cindy dashed toward her daughter but was unable to reach her in time before she hit the ground with a sickening thud.

"Mommy!" Rebecca cried. "My arm hurts!"

Cindy saw that Rebecca's arm was bent at an unnatural angle. Quickly she gathered the little girl up into her arms and carried her to the car, calling to Jonathan and saying a hurried good-bye to Sakura and Kristy.

Rebecca cried all the way to the emergency room. Jonathan tried his best to cheer her up the whole way there, but to no avail. Once Cindy reached the hospital, she struggled to find a parking space, then rushed both kids inside, got Rebecca signed in, and called Gary, who was home reading. She got no answer and, in a panic, called Carol, who arrived within minutes to pick Jonathan up. At first he didn't want to leave his sister, but his grandmother promised him candy and toys from the dollar store.

Cindy was paged to the telephone about forty-five minutes later.

"How's Becky?" asked Gary. "I went out for a few minutes to get some groceries and as soon as I got home, your mom called me. She told me you'd taken Becky to the emergency room, that she'd fallen and hurt her arm. She put Jonny on the phone and he said that he wanted to stay over there until you and Becky got home. Has she been checked yet?"

"We're waiting on an X-ray. They think her arm's broken."

Gary gave a low whistle. "Do you need for me to come up there, hon?"

"Oh, no, that's all right. We'll be fine," Cindy told him.

As it turned out, Rebecca's arm _was _broken. It was put into a cast and, several hours after they'd arrived, mother and daughter left the hospital. Cindy swung by the Bradys to pick Jonathan up and then went home.

"Daddy!" cried Rebecca, running to greet Gary, who stood on the front porch.

"Well, look at you!" Gary scooped his daughter up into his arms. "How's your arm feel now, honey? Does it still hurt?"

"It feels OK now, Daddy, since the doctor put a cast on it."

"Well, it's a good thing he did, then, isn't it?" Gary grinned. "Can I be the first one to sign it?"

"Of course, Daddy!"

Gary sat his daughter down and found a pen. 'Dear Becky, Get well soon! Love, Daddy,' he wrote on her cast.

"Give me just a minute to freshen up, and I'll start dinner," said Cindy.

"No, you won't," said Gary. "That's already been taken care of."

Cindy looked at the table, which was already set and held a steaming platter of lasagna as well as a large bowl of salad.

"Oh, Gary, you're an angel!" she exclaimed, kissing her husband's cheek.

"I'm not really," Gary said modestly. "But I _do _try."

After dinner, Cindy started to do the dishes, but Gary stopped her. "No, I'm doing those as well," he said. "You go get some rest."

Rebecca sat at the computer playing one of her games.

"Where's your brother?" Cindy asked her.

Rebecca shrugged. Cindy glanced in the bathroom and saw Jonathan wrapping layer after layer of toilet paper around his arm and taping it into place.

"I want Daddy to sign my cast too," he said soberly. Cindy burst out laughing and shook her head. She went to find Gary, who made a big to-do out of signing Jonathan's 'cast' just as he had Rebecca's. Soon both kids were settled in bed. Gary and Cindy sat up and watched 'Notting Hill' and then went to bed themselves.

* * *

On the following Friday morning, Cindy went to the twins' school and helped hide Easter eggs for Rebecca's class. Since the twins had started kindergarten, she'd alternated every year, and this year was Rebecca's class' turn.

That evening was the Passover Seder at Norman and Sylvia's. Cindy noticed that Rhonda had accompanied Jason this year. She was pleased to see that they were still together.

"I know it's a few weeks early, but since we're all together here anyway, I thought I might as well give you this now," said Melissa, handing an envelope to Gary. It was an invitation to Ariel's high school graduation.

"Wow, so you're almost finished," Cindy said to Ariel, who ignored her.

"Speak when you're spoken to, young lady," Melissa told her daughter.

"Stop treating me like a little kid!" Ariel scowled.

"Stop acting like one, and I'll stop treating you like one," her mother retorted.

Cindy mentioned helping out in Rebecca's class that morning.

"Aren't you afraid you're going to confuse those kids, raising them in two separate religions?" asked Rhonda.

"On the contrary, we feel that that's best for the children, so that they learn to be tolerant and open-minded," Gary replied, politely but firmly.

"But they're really considered Jewish, aren't they?" asked Rhonda.

"Since Gary's Reform, yes, they are," Cindy told her. "If he were Orthodox, they wouldn't be, unless I'd converted myself before they were born."

"I knew it was something like that," said Rhonda. "How could they be Christian too, then?"

"I'm trying to raise them with a minimum of labels," said Cindy.

"Well, I for one think it's a perfectly silly idea to hide eggs and tell children that they were hidden by a rabbit," said Sylvia. "Just as silly as putting presents underneath a tree and telling them that they were put there by a fat guy with a sleigh and eight reindeer."

"Nine," Gary corrected her. "You forgot Rudolph."

"Well, tradition has always been very important to my family," Cindy said softly.

"I really do appreciate the way you don't get into it with my mom," Gary said later to Cindy. "She loves to debate, but I know she comes across as overbearing sometimes."

_That's a mild way of putting it, _Cindy thought to herself, but she didn't say anything.


	44. The Big Apple

**June 2000**

"Our tenth wedding anniversary is right around the corner, and guess where we're going?" Gary crowed, waving a handful of airplane tickets in the air as he entered the house.

"Disneyland!" Rebecca shouted excitedly, jumping up and down. She'd just had the cast removed from her arm a couple of weeks previously, about the time school had ended for the summer.

"Nah, we can go to Disneyland any old time." Gary ruffled his daughter's hair, which was dark brown and curly like his own. "Remember how I promised you I'd take you to Brighton Beach and show you the neighborhood I grew up in someday, Cyn?"

"We're going to New York?" Cindy could hardly believe her ears.

"We leave in ten days," Gary told her.

"That's before our birthday!" Jonathan exclaimed.

"That's right!" said Gary. "We'll be celebrating your birthday in New York City this year! Maybe we can go to Coney Island that day. It's different from Disneyland, but I think you'll like it. There's a really big Ferris Wheel called the Wonder Wheel and a roller coaster called the Cyclone. I used to ride those all the time when I was a kid."

"Have you called and reserved a motel room yet?" asked Cindy.

"My cousin Ken and his wife Tammy have offered to put us up, so we don't have to worry about the motel," Gary told her.

"That's kind of them," said Cindy.

"You'll like them," said Gary. "They have a couple of adult kids who still live with them, but they're both gone for the summer, so they have plenty of room."

Ten days later, the family was packed and waiting for their flight at the airport. They'd arrived early as they'd been instructed to so had a couple of hours to sit and wait after they'd been processed. Cindy bought coloring books and crayons at the gift shop to keep the twins occupied, and she and Gary bought magazines.

At last it was time to board. The flight would take several hours and include a meal. Jonathan and Rebecca enjoyed playing with the individual headphone sets attached to the seats at first but quickly became bored. Gary told them stories of his childhood to keep them entertained. They crossed several times zones and had to reset their watches that many hours ahead when they landed in New York.

"Well, here we are, kids," Gary said as the airplane came to a stop. "The Big Apple!"

Jonathan looked around, confused. "I don't see any apples."

Cindy laughed. "'The Big Apple' is just another name for New York City. Just like people call you 'Jonny' instead of 'Jonathan' sometimes."

"Oh, now I get it." He grinned.

Ken and Tammy arrived at the airport to take the Greenbergs home with them. They were both about Gary's age. Ken was slightly taller than Gary, with short, straight brown hair parted on the side and glasses. Tammy was shorter and plump, with wavy blonde hair and an easy laugh.

"So these are the twins!" she said in her heavy Brooklyn accent. "They're adorable!" Rebecca and Jonathan rolled their eyes. "I'm a twin too, you know," she told them confidentially.

"Really?" Rebecca's eyes widened with surprise.

"Oh, yeah." Tammy nodded vigorously. "I have a twin sister named Tabitha. She lives just a couple of blocks away from us with her husband. His name is Murray. You'll probably meet them while you're here."

Gary and Cindy waited for their luggage, then for a cab for the twenty minute ride to Ken and Tammy's apartment.

"Don't you have a car?" asked Jonathan.

"Nah," Tammy replied. "With the buses, subway, and cabs all over the place, who needs a car? You'd just have to worry about where to park it and how to keep it from being stolen!"

Soon the family was standing outside the building's entrance, the twins craning their necks to see all the way up.

"Wow!" said Rebecca. "Do you live all the way up there at the top?"

"Not quite all the way up there." Tammy laughed. "About halfway up."

"When you have to go grocery shopping, how do you get the food all the way up there?" asked Jonathan.

"That's what elevators are for," said Tammy. "Y'know, these apartments are so much nicer than the tenements my parents grew up in."

"Did you grow up in a tenement, Daddy?" asked Jonathan.

"Oh, no." Gary chuckled. "The apartment I grew up in was much more like Ken and Tammy's."

"Why'd you move to California, Daddy?" asked Rebecca.

"My dad - your grandpa - got an opportunity to work in the movie industry, so we moved to the west coast."

"So Grandpa makes movies?" asked Rebecca.

"He's retired now, but yes, he used to."

"What movies? Any that I've seen?"

"He made a lot of movies, Becky. I'm sure you've seen at least one or two of them."

* * *

That night Cindy was putting away her make-up when she felt Gary's arms hugging her from behind, his lips kissing her hair.

"So, what do you think so far?" he asked.

"Well, to be honest, I feel a bit acrophobic and claustrophobic at the same time. Kind of like a sardine on stilts."

Gary laughed. "You'll get used to it really fast."

"I don't think I ever really realized how different the way you grew up was from the way I grew up until today."

"Nice to see how the other half lives, huh?"

"The other half?"

"Mm hm." She turned to face him, and they kissed. "It's been a long day. Time for some relaxation, don't you think?" He took her hand and led her to the bed.


	45. Love Story

_A/N: Peter Wedemeyer and Veronica Ganz were characters in the book 'Peter And Veronica' by Marilyn Sachs. In the sequel Peter and Veronica never married but I wanted them to so here you go. :)_

Tammy's parents, Peter and Veronica Wedemeyer, came by the apartment to meet Gary and Cindy the next day. They were both completely white-haired but seemed very spry. Veronica was warm and friendly, and Peter, who seemed a bit more reserved, was also pleasant.

"It's wonderful to meet you both," said Veronica as she shook Cindy's hand.

"Thank you. It's nice to meet you as well," Cindy replied. "Gary wanted me to see where he grew up, so we took this trip to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary."

"Our fiftieth is this year," Veronica told her.

"Wow, congratulations!" said Cindy.

"We've known each other for a lot longer than fifty years," Veronica continued. "We didn't exactly take to each other right away, did we, Peter?"

"You could say that," Peter chuckled.

"My maiden name was Ganz, and Peter used to tease me by saying, 'Veronica Ganz doesn't wear pants.' That would make me so mad, and I'd chase after him, but I never caught him. He'd outsmart me and get away every single time. Then one day, he lured me into an empty alley where he and a couple of other boys beat me up."

"That's terrible!" Cindy gasped.

"At first I was really pleased with myself," Peter inserted. "A scrawny little kid like me had outsmarted a bigger, stronger girl. But the more I thought about it, the worse I felt. Finally I realized that regardless of how I felt about Veronica, what I had done had been wrong, very wrong. So I went to her and apologized. She accepted my apology, and we became very good friends."

"We were just friends all through high school," Veronica added. "It wasn't until right around the time we graduated that it grew to be more."

"I remember the exact moment it happened," said Peter.

**1947**

"Checkmate," said Veronica.

"What? But it _can't _be!" Peter exclaimed.

"It can _too _be." Veronica grinned.

Peter quickly surveyed the chess board, then had to concede that she was right. "That's the first time that's ever happened!" he gasped.

"I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later," Veronica replied. "I'm a very patient person."

Peter looked so dejected that she felt a little sorry for him. "It's only because of your superb teaching skills that it happened," she told him. He smiled weakly.

"The prom's coming up soon, you know," she commented, changing the subject.

"Yeah, I know." He sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"I've asked several girls, but they all turned me down. Must be intimidated by my superior intellect," he half joked.

"Nobody's even asked me," said Veronica. "And needless to say, it has nothing to do with my intellect."

"I thought you didn't really care about that kind of thing anyway," said Peter.

"Why wouldn't I? I'm a girl, aren't I?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"But what?" Her eyes narrowed.

Peter laughed. "Veronica, would you like to go to the prom with me?"

"I thought you'd never ask!"

**1950**

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," said the judge. "You may kiss the bride."

Peter and Veronica kissed, then left the judge's chambers and got into Peter's Chrysler Plymouth.

"I wish I could have given you a proper wedding," said Peter.

"It's all right, Peter," Veronica replied. "We're married. That's all that matters."

"My parents are gonna hit the ceiling when they find out." Peter sighed and shook his head. "The whole struggle over my bar mitzvah was a piece of cake compared to this."

"You're not thirteen anymore, hon," Veronica said. "You're an adult and can make your own decisions now."

"Try telling _them _that," Peter said glumly. "Well, here we are," he added, pulling into the motel's parking lot.

Feeling as if they were on the lam, they unloaded the suitcases from the trunk and carried them up to the motel room. Peter had barely begun to unpack his when Veronica tackled him from behind and practically threw him onto the bed.

"Plenty of time for that later," she said in what was almost a growl as she joined him and began to loosen his clothing. "Much more important matters to be taken care of first."

Peter had never been naked in front of a woman, and the smooth caress of Veronica's hands over his bare skin titillated him. When she reached between his legs he nearly swooned. As much as he was inclined to simply lie there luxuriating in the thrilling new sensations, he knew that Veronica expected to be pleasured as well, and he wasn't about to disappoint her.

**1952**

"Wow, we really did it!" Peter grinned proudly. "Twins!"

"I know you would have liked for at least one of them to have been a boy," Veronica said apologetically.

"That's all right," Peter replied. "The next one will be a boy."

"If there _is _a next one," Veronica said crossly. "These stitches are killing me!"

"Poor baby." Peter embraced her. "We have to come up with names for them, you know."

"Jewish names. I want to make your parents happy."

_That won't happen, _Peter thought, but he didn't say anything. "Hephzibah and Zipporah." He grinned impishly.

Veronica threw a pillow at him. "Get real."

"Well, how about Rachel and Rebecca?"

"That's a lot better, but I can't stand the nickname 'Rebbie'."

"Tabitha and Tamara?"

"That's perfect! I can't wait to tell my mother. She's going to be so happy!"

Peter looked sad.

"Your parents will fall in love with them as soon as they see them," Veronica said consolingly. Peter just sighed and didn't say anything.


	46. Unexpected News

Gary and Cindy took the twins to Coney Island for their eighth birthday.

"This place doesn't have as many rides as Disneyland does," Jonathan complained.

"But isn't it neat to see where your Daddy grew up?" Cindy asked her son.

"I like Disneyland better," Jonathan insisted.

"Well I think it's nice to go somewhere different for a change," said Cindy. "There's just so much Old World charm here."

Gary embraced his wife. "You'll never know how many times I've dreamed of coming here with you," he told her.

The whole family went on the Wonder Wheel, looking down in awe from the very top. Rebecca jumped up and down, begging to go on the Cyclone wooden roller coaster. Jonathan's eyes widened with fright when he saw the 85-foot drop, but with some gentle urging from his parents, he was persuaded to get on the ride with his sister. After it was over, Rebecca begged to go on it again, but Jonathan hugged Cindy tightly and buried his face in her shirt.

"I think we'd better choose more gentle rides for the next few times," she said, gently stroking her son's hair.

They went on more rides, then had chili cheese dogs and curly fries for lunch. After lunch, they walked along the beach for awhile and then returned to the apartment for cake and ice cream.

All the Greenberg and Brady relatives called to wish the twins a happy birthday, so they were on the telephone for a significant part of that evening.

Cindy enjoyed going shopping with Tammy, who took her to Macy's, Saks, Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, and many other New York City department stores. Worried about overspending, she tried not to buy very much, but she did have a lot of fun window shopping.

"I don't think two weeks is going to be nearly enough time to see everything I want to see," Cindy told Gary one evening. Little did she realize at the time how quickly things were about to change.

One day Gary came into the bedroom with a serious look on his face. "We have to talk," he told Cindy. Cindy felt her stomach tie into knots. She'd thought that the past couple of weeks had been one of the happiest periods of her marriage. Had she been wrong?

"What is it?" she asked her husband, her heart filled with trepidation.

"Ken's partner, Nate Bernstein, has suffered renal failure and had to go on dialysis while he waits for a kidney transplant," Gary told Cindy. "Ken has asked me to work in the store with him for awhile until Nate's healthy enough to help him run it again."

"But Gary, you're a radio station manager, not a furniture store manager!" Cindy protested. "You don't know anything at all about selling furniture!"

"Ken said he'll teach me the ropes in no time," Gary said. "He's family, Cyn. I can't let him down."

"But what about the radio station?"

"I'll sell it, or hire someone to manage it."

"So you've already decided to do this, then."

"Like I said, Cyn, he's family, and..."

"And you can't let him down. I know," Cindy said shortly. Her mind was reeling. "But what about the kids? They go back to school in August, you know."

"There are schools right here in New York City, Cyn."

"I know, Gar. But just think about how different it will be from what they're used to! You know what a hard time Jonathan especially has adjusting to new situations. And what about our house?"

"We'll rent it out and rent an apartment here. Everything's going to be fine, Cyn." He reached for her, but she pulled away.

"Well, it certainly would have been nice if you'd consulted me before making all these plans!" Cindy snapped.

"Honey, please try to understand. Ken's my cousin, and he needs me. There's no one else he can turn to whom he can trust."

"And I'm your _wife, _Gary!" Upset, Cindy began to pace back and forth. "And Rebecca and Jonathan are your children! What about what this is going to do to us? What about _my _family? Our friends? The children's friends?"

Gary sighed. "It won't be forever, Cyn. Only until Nate gets better."

"And how long will _that _be? Weeks? Months? Years?"

"I don't know, Cyn." Gary shook his head helplessly.

* * *

"I have something important to tell you," Cindy said to Rebecca and Jonathan the following day. "Your father is going to be working with Ken in the furniture store, so we're going to be staying here in New York for a while."

"Hurray!" said Rebecca. "I like New York."

Jonathan looked worried. "What about when school starts back?"

"If we're still here by then, you'll go to school here in Brooklyn."

"But what about my cousins and friends back home?"

"You'll miss them, but you'll make new friends."

"But I don't want to make new friends! I want to be with my cousins and the friends I already have!" Jonathan looked as if he were near tears.


	47. Changes

Life to Cindy seemed surreal, as if she knew that she was dreaming and would awaken at any moment. Yet as telephone calls and arrangements were made, reality slowly began to sink in. It was no dream. They really _were _going to be living in Brooklyn from now on. And there wasn't a thing in the world that Cindy could do about it.

She dreaded the obligatory telephone call to her mother. Carol would be shocked, she knew, and none too happy about the situation.

"Gary can just never say no to anyone," Cindy complained to her mother. "I understand that it's an emergency situation and how he wants to help his cousin out, but he should have at least talked to me about it first. I'm his _wife, _for crying out loud! I deserve to have some input into the decision too, but instead he just jumps the gun and makes this commitment that's going to have such an impact on all our lives without a word to me first!"

Cindy was so upset that she was talking too fast and running her words together, so she had to pause for a moment to catch her breath.

"I just can't get used to the idea of my daughter and grandchildren living so far away," Carol said sadly. "I don't know how I'm going to be able to stand not being able to just hop in the car and drive around to see you all any time I want."

"I know," Cindy agreed. "I've lived in the same town for my entire life, and just assumed I'd always live there. I just can't believe how fast things can change sometimes!"

"Well, at least you've got Gary's family there to help you get settled in," Carol said in an attempt to console her daughter. "It's not like moving to a new town and not knowing a soul."

"Gary knows them. I don't really, except for Tammy, and I don't know her _all _that well."

Carol sighed. "Well, look at it this way: you have the chance to start all over again in a new place where nobody remembers all the embarrassing things you did when you were younger. You get to make a fresh start!"

"I'm worried about Jonathan, Mom. You know how with his Asperger's syndrome, he doesn't adjust to change well, and now we'll have to find a new doctor and a new support group and _everything!"_

"Well, at least it's the beginning of summer. He'll have a few weeks to get used to living in New York before being slammed with school."

"'Slammed' is right." Cindy chuckled sarcastically. "I'm seriously wondering whether I should just keep him home and tutor him myself."

"Oh, no, don't do _that," _Carol gently chided her daughter. "He needs a social life as well as academics."

"But these tough New York kids are going to chew him up and spit him right back out again!"

Gary entered the room and overheard the end of the conversation.

"I told you about Joey Caminiti, didn't I?" he asked Cindy when she got off the telephone.

"That Catholic kid who used to pick on you. But you were able to stand your ground against him. Jonny wouldn't have been."

"Well, we'll just have to toughen him up, that's all. We have the whole summer to do it in," Gary said lightly.

* * *

Tammy was pleased to hear that Gary and Cindy would be staying in Brooklyn.

"That's great!" she exclaimed. "Now I can show you more of the city, introduce you to more people."

Cindy met Tammy's identical twin sister, Tabitha, and Tabitha's husband, Murray. Tabitha was remarkably similar to Tammy, although she seemed a bit quieter and more serious.

The Greenbergs were able to find an apartment to rent in the same building in which Ken and Tammy lived. It was unfurnished, so they had to have all their furniture shipped rather than put into storage.

Cindy spent days getting everything organized and in place. Gary helped her as much as he could when he was off work.

As he'd predicted, Gary's transition into the furniture business went smoothly. He was thrilled the day he made his first sale.

"Congratulations!" Cindy told him. "I knew you could do it!"

He grinned. "So what kind of a day did _you _have?"

"Exhausting!" Cindy rolled her eyes. "I don't think I'll ever get used to juggling two full bags of groceries while changing buses three times!"

Gary came to her and put his arms around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. "Hey, I just want you to know that I _do _appreciate the sacrifices you've made, and are still making," he told her. He rubbed her back, and she yawned. "I know I don't tell you nearly as often as I should, but it's true. I love you, Cyn."

"I love you too, Gar."

At the time, neither of them had any idea of the major changes yet to come in their lives.


	48. Carmen

_A/N: Thanks to Shesadreamer87 for the idea for this chapter. :)_

Jonathan was the first one to see her, hanging around the bus stop as he and his mother and sister were traveling to Central Park one day.

"Where's your Mommy and Daddy?" he asked her. Her eyes went wide with fright and she ran from him. That was when Cindy first noticed her.

"It isn't safe for her to be hanging around here by herself, Mommy." Jonathan turned worried eyes toward his mother.

"Oh, she's probably just playing a game. I'm sure they're nearby," Cindy replied.

But when she and the twins were traveling home from the park, she noticed that the little girl was still there.

"That _is _unusual," she mused. "Little girl," she called. "Where's your family?"

The little girl said something in another language. Cindy held out her hand to her, and the little girl reluctantly took it. Cindy led her to a security guard and explained the situation to him.

"Where's your family?" the security guard asked the little girl. The child replied in the same language she'd spoken in earlier.

"I'll have to get in touch with Officer Rodriguez," the security guard told Cindy. A few moments later, a Spanish-speaking police officer appeared and talked with the little girl.

"Her name's Carmen, and she's five years old," Officer Rodriguez told Cindy when they were finished talking. "She says that she ran away from home because her stepfather hurt her. I'll have to take her to the police station and contact the family and find out what really happened. I'm very glad that you brought this situation to my attention."

"Will you please let me know how it turns out?" asked Cindy.

"Sure. I'll keep you posted if there are any further developments," Officer Rodriguez told her. She thanked him and left her contact information with him.

"So how did the trip to the park go?" Gary asked when he returned from work that day.

"We met a little girl named Carmen," Jonathan told him.

"We found her at the bus stop, all alone," Cindy added. "I notified security, and a police officer took her to the station. He promised to keep me posted."

"Well, I certainly hope she's reunited with her family soon," said Gary.

"Apparently she ran away from home because her stepfather abused her," Cindy told him. "She doesn't speak English. Officer Rodriguez had to translate."

"Oh my goodness!" Gary exclaimed. "Poor little girl! I sure hope she'll be all right!"

"I hope so too," said Cindy.

* * *

Several weeks passed. Cindy had almost forgotten about the incident when she received a telephone call from Officer Rodriguez one evening.

"I wanted to update you on the situation with Carmen," he told her. "After we brought her to the station, we had her examined by a physician. That little girl's body was covered with bruises, Mrs. Greenberg. They were in different stages of healing, so we knew she'd been beaten more than once. Through medical and dental records, we located her family. Her mother's a second generation Puerto Rican who's a prostitute and heroin addict. Six months ago, she married a man with an extensive record of drug and alcohol abuse and assault and battery. We visited the home and saw evidence of the new husband's violent behavior. He's been arrested and charged with felony child abuse. Carmen is currently in foster care. We're going through the legal procedure to have her mother's parental rights terminated so that Carmen can be placed for adoption. If and when she becomes available for adoption, would you be interested?"

"Well, I'd have to talk to my husband first, of course, but if he agrees, I'd love to give that little girl a stable home."

Cindy was so excited that she told Gary the news right away.

"That was Officer Rodriguez calling to give me the news about Carmen," she said. "As it turns out, she _was _being abused by her stepfather. She's in foster care now, and they're trying to have her mother's parental rights terminated so they can place her for adoption. Officer Rodriguez asked if we'd be interested in adopting her. Oh, Gary, could we? Please?"

Gary rolled his eyes. "Adopting a child isn't like taking in a stray dog, Cyn. It means that you're assuming full responsibility for the child until her eighteenth birthday."

"I know that, Gary. But giving birth to the twins was also assuming full responsibility for them until they're adults. So what's the difference?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Cyn. We don't really know anything about this little girl beyond the very basics. We don't know what behavioral issues or psychological problems she might have, what expensive medications she might need..."

"We could find all that out easily enough," said Cindy. Suddenly she thought of something. "Remember when the twins were about two and a half and we thought I might have had a miscarriage?"

"Mm hm. Why?"

"Remember how sad I felt about it?"

"Of course. I felt sad about it too."

"Just think about it. Carmen's just about exactly the age that baby would be now if it had lived."

Gary frowned. "Sounds like you've really given this some thought, Cyn."

"I have, Gary."

"Well, if it's really that important to you, of course I'll consider it. I just meant that it's not the kind of thing we should rush into. That's all."

"Oh, thank you, Gary!" Cindy was so happy that she did a little dance that ended with her kissing Gary's lips. He watched her in amused bewilderment.


	49. A New School

Gary and Cindy soon learned what an arduous process the adoption procedure was. After many meetings, training sessions, and interviews, the social worker paid a visit to their apartment and met Rebecca and Jonathan.

"Why do you want to adopt this child?" she asked Gary and Cindy.

"We know that she needs a good home with loving parents, and we want to provide that for her," said Cindy.

"How long have you lived here in New York?" was the next question.

"I grew up here but moved to California when I was a teenager," Gary replied. "That's where I met and married my wife. We came to New York planning to visit for a couple of weeks, but then my cousin's business partner fell ill and I stayed on to help him."

"So are you planning to stay in New York permanently, then?"

"It's kind of up in the air right now," said Gary. "Why, would there be a problem with us moving out of state with the child?"

"Oh, no. Once the adoption is complete, you have the same rights to the child that you do to your natural children. However, we _do _have to make sure that the child will have stable living conditions. Now, have either of you been married before?"

"My first wife was killed in a car accident several years before I met Cindy," Gary told the social worker.

"I'm sorry to hear that," the woman replied. "Any children from that marriage?"

"I have an adult daughter, Carly, and an adult son, Jake. Carly's married and lives in Oregon with her husband. Jake lives in Miami, Florida and works as a paralegal."

"And what about Rebecca and Jonathan? Are they both happy and well-adjusted? I noticed that Jonathan wears braces on his legs."

"He has mild hypotonia," said Cindy. "He was also diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome several years ago, but he's mainstreamed into regular classes and is doing fine."

The social worker seemed concerned when she heard about Jonathan's Asperger's syndrome and wanted to speak to him personally.

"Do you enjoy school, Jonathan?" she asked him.

"Most of the time," he told her. "Some kids are mean and pick on me, but not all of them."

"What about your sister? Do you ever get into arguments or fights with her?"

"No, me and Becky never fight. We love each other." Gary chuckled. The social worker smiled knowingly.

"How would you feel about having another sister come and live with you? One a couple of years younger?"

"Great! I want Carmen to be my sister, too."

The social worker turned back to Gary and Cindy. "And what about religious affiliation?"

"I'm Jewish, and Cindy's Christian," Gary told her. "We're raising Rebecca and Jonathan to honor and respect the values and traditions of both religions."

"That's nice." The social worker looked happy. "I personally think it's important for a child to have a solid religious background, and I think it's wonderful that you two have been able to reconcile your differing religious beliefs and provide that for your children." She prepared to leave. "You'll be hearing from us in a few weeks. Of course, you're welcome to check back on the status of your application anytime."

* * *

In late August, Cindy rode the bus with Rebecca and Jonathan to take their supplies to their new school and meet their new teacher, Mrs. Meyer.

Jonathan's eyes grew large and round. "This school sure is bigger than my old school back home."

"New York is a very big city," Cindy told him. "A lot of children live here and go to school."

"Come on, Jonny! This is fun!" said Rebecca as she ran up and down the stairs.

"Rebecca." Cindy frowned. Rebecca stopped running and took her mother's hand, and they found their new classroom and entered it. Cindy introduced herself and the children to their new teacher.

"So you two arrived recently from California." Mrs. Meyer smiled. She was pretty, with light brown curls, blue eyes, and glasses. She looked to be about twenty-five.

"My husband just went to work with his cousin in the furniture business," Cindy explained.

"He used to work at a radio station," Rebecca volunteered.

Mrs. Meyer chuckled. "That's certainly a change."

"That it is," Cindy agreed.

"We're going to have a new sister soon," Rebecca added.

"Why, congratulations!" Mrs. Meyer replied, looking at Cindy's flat belly with a puzzled expression.

Cindy laughed. "We're adopting."

"Oh, I see." Mrs. Meyer smiled again. "I think you're going to enjoy going to school here. There are lots of great clubs to join and other fun activities."

* * *

"So, how did it go, guys?" Gary asked that evening.

"I like my new school," said Rebecca. "My new teacher's Mrs. Meyer and she's really pretty. She said there's going to be lots of fun stuff to do this year."

"What about you, Jonny?"

"It's lots bigger than my old school. There are lots of staircases that go up and up."

Gary laughed. "That's the same school I went to when I was your age. You get lots of exercise going up and down those stairs." He turned to his wife. "So what do you think, Cyn?"

"It's a nice enough school, I suppose, but it _is _really different from what the kids are used to."

Gary went to his wife and put his arms around her. "It's going to be all right, hon. Everything's going to be just fine."

Cindy sighed and rested her head on her husband's shoulder. "I sure hope you're right."


	50. Adjusting

At last the adoption process was completed, and Carmen came home for the first time. The apartment was adorned with pink balloons and streamers and a huge banner that read 'We Love You, Carmen.' The little girl's eyes widened and she clung fiercely to her teddy bear.

"Come on, Carmen." Rebecca took the little girl's hand. "I'll show you your new bedroom."

Gary and Cindy had set up a twin bed for Carmen in Rebecca's bedroom. Rebecca's bed had a Power Puff Girl's quilt on it, and Carmen's had a Dora the Explorer quilt. Carmen lightly ran her hand over it. _"Es muy linda."_

"See, this is where our books go," said Rebecca, showing Carmen the bookcase. "And this is the closet where we hang our clothes." Carmen watched but said nothing as Rebecca showed her all the items in the bedroom.

"Want to play Candyland with me?" Rebecca asked after awhile. Carmen didn't respond. Rebecca took the game out and set it up. Carmen watched but didn't join in.

"That's okay," Rebecca told her. "We don't have to play right now if you don't want to. What's your teddy bear's name?"

Carmen clung to the toy more tightly and didn't reply.

"Would you like to watch the Power Puff Girls with me?" Rebecca took the video out and put it into the VCR.

Rebecca and Carmen watched videos together until Cindy called the children for dinner.

"So how do you like it here so far, Carmen?" Gary asked the newest family member.

_"Bien," _Carmen replied.

"I'm glad," said Cindy. The social worker had assured them that Carmen could speak and understand English perfectly well, but for now they weren't going to insist upon it.

After dinner Rebecca watched TV while Jonathan put together a puzzle. Carmen watched with rapt attention for a while, then suddenly picked a piece up and put it into place.

"Wow!" Jonathan exclaimed. "Good job, Carmen!"

Carmen beamed.

That night Rebecca awoke to the sound of Carmen crying. She got out of bed, walked across the room to her new sister's bed, and put her hand on the other girl's shoulder.

"What's wrong, Carmen?"

_"Yo quiero mi mamacita!" _Carmen sobbed.

Rebecca got into bed with Carmen and put her arms around her. "But _my _mama's your mama now, Carmen. We're your new family, and we love you very much." After awhile Carmen stopped crying and fell asleep. The next morning Cindy found both little girls fast asleep in Carmen's bed with Rebecca's arms wrapped tightly around Carmen.

That evening Ken and Tammy and their adult children, Barry and April, came by after dinner to meet Carmen, but the little girl ran into her bedroom and threw herself across the bed, burying her face in the quilt. Cindy sat beside her on the bed, patting her back and talking to her gently, but she refused to turn around until the visitors had left.

In frustration Cindy called Jan that night. "She's afraid of everyone but me, Gary, Rebecca, and Jonathan," she explained. "And she still refuses to speak English. I don't remember Patty being that way when she first arrived from Korea."

"Well, you have to remember, it's a completely different situation," Jan told her. "You told me this little girl was beaten, that her mother was a heroin addict. Those kinds of things leave emotional scars, Cindy. It's going to take some time for Carmen to feel safe enough to open up. Just give her a little more time. I'm sure she'll come around eventually."

Cindy sighed. "I sure do hope you're right."

* * *

As time passed, Carmen did slowly become adjusted to her new family and home. She began to smile and to speak in English. She seemed to grow especially close to Jonathan, with whom she formed a special bond.

One night Cindy even got her to talk to Carol over the telephone.

"Hi, sweetheart," said Carol. "I'm your new grandma."

_"Hola. _Hello," said Carmen.

"I can't wait to meet you," Carol continued. "Maybe you can come visit at Christmastime."

_"Me gustaria que. _I'd like that," said Carmen.


	51. September 11, 2001

_A/N: This chapter is in tribute to all the innocent people who lost their lives on that tragic day._

It started out just like any typical Tuesday morning. Cindy got all three kids off to school and Gary off to work, then had breakfast and began her daily chores.

Gary called her at about nine thirty, sobbing hysterically. "You'll never believe what's happened, Cyn," he said. "Turn on the news. Do it now."

"My God, Gary! What happened?"

"Just do it, Cyn."

Cindy did as he'd asked, and the first thing she saw was footage of the airplanes crashing into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Mesmerized, she stared at the television screen, unable to tear her eyes away. She almost didn't hear the telephone ringing. When she answered, she heard her mother's quivering voice.

"Cindy! Oh, thank goodness you're all right!" Carol exclaimed. "How are Gary and the children?"

"They're all right. Gary's at work, and the kids are in school. The World Trade Center is in Manhattan, Mom. That's across the East River from us."

Later in the morning, Gary came home, pale and shaking. "We closed the store for the day," he told Cindy. "Nobody's going to be shopping for furniture today, anyway. Oh, Cyn!"

Husband and wife clung to one another for comfort. For most of that morning, they watched the news while fielding telephone calls from their relatives in other states.

Several hours after lunch, the children arrived home from school, shaken and distraught.

"I'm scared, Mommy!" Little Carmen ran to Cindy and buried her face in her mother's front, sobbing.

"We watched a movie in school today," said Rebecca. "An airplane flew into the side of a building and it caught on fire. 'Cept it wasn't just a movie because it really happened. Mrs. Meyer said so."

"I know it did, sweetheart," Cindy told her daughter. "Your daddy and I watched it on TV."

"Why'd they do that, Mommy? Why'd they fly the airplane into the side of the building?" asked Jonathan.

"I don't know, sweetheart," said Cindy. "Nobody knows why some people choose to do evil things like that. God gives us a choice between good and evil, and some people choose evil."

"But what if it happens again?" asked Rebecca.

"It's not going to happen again," said Gary. "The people who work in airports are going to be extra careful from now on about who they allow on airplanes."

"Don't cry, Carmy," said Jonathan in an attempt to comfort his little sister. "You heard what Daddy just said. It's not gonna happen again. We're safe."

Carmen continued to weep inconsolably. She and the twins were very quiet and subdued for the rest of that day.

Gary and Cindy got very little sleep that night, clinging tightly to one another and talking for hours.

"That could been us," said Cindy. "A couple of those airplanes were headed for Los Angeles. What if we'd had a family emergency and had to go back home?" She shuddered involuntarily, and Gary held her tight.

"It really could have been anyone at all," Gary agreed. "It was purely by chance that we were spared. It's yet another reminder of just how fragile and precious life is, how it should never be taken for granted."

"Do you suppose we will go to war now?" asked Cindy.

"The president seems eager to do that," said Gary. "But I'm not at all sure that that would be the answer. War would only mean more suffering and death, and I'm not sure that it would be the way to stop this kind of organization."

"What _would _stop them, then?"

"If I had the answer to that question, I wouldn't be a furniture store manager."

"On TV we saw Palestinians dancing in the streets, celebrating the deaths of so many Americans," Cindy said bitterly.

"They hate Americans because of our country's support of the nation of Israel," Gary told her. "What they don't understand is that neither America nor Israel is to blame for their situation. Just think of it, Cyn. The Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, nearly exterminated during the Holocaust, and then at last they have a piece of land to call their own, one tiny strip of land in the midst of all that oil-rich territory, and the Muslims still want to deny them their right to exist. They're the ones to blame for the displaced Palestinians. With all the land owned by Muslim countries in the Mid East, there should be plenty of room for those Palestinians to live."

Gary realized that he was nearly shouting and chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry to get so passionate, Cyn, but you know that this is a subject close to my heart, close to the hearts of all my people."

"I know," said Cindy. "I still think it was horrible that they were dancing in the streets. All those innocent people who died today can't help any of that."

"Of course they couldn't," said Gary. "But it's impossible to try to rationalize hatred."

* * *

Although Gary and Cindy hadn't attended synagogue since moving to New York City, they went with Ken, Tammy, Barry, and April the following Friday night. Cindy had never seen such a large crowd of people in any place of worship before, not even on a holiday. Many people were crying. Carmen and the twins clung tightly to one another and to Gary and Cindy.

"This Sabbath brings to an end a week of mourning such as this nation has never known," the rabbi announced after the weekly Torah reading. "As we gather together in our mutual shock and sorrow, we turn to our faith in God and the strength of our spiritual community for comfort and hope."

Despite the outpourings of grief, Cindy found the service very comforting.

"I'm glad we went," she told Gary after they returned home that night. "I feel so much better now."

"It always helps to share our heartache with others, to know that we're not alone," Gary replied.

After many weeks, life slowly began to return to normal for the Greenbergs, although they knew that things would never be quite the same again.


	52. Jacqueline Cynthia Levin

**Spring 2002**

"Dad! Cindy!" Carly hugged her father and stepmother. "It's wonderful to see you again!"

The children had a week off from school, and Gary and Cindy had decided to visit Ben and Carly in Oregon. Carly was eight and a half months pregnant, so hugging was a bit awkward for her now.

"This is your new sister, Carmen," Gary told his oldest daughter. Carmen shyly tried to hide behind her parents, and Gary put his arm around her shoulders and gently pushed her forward.

"Hi, sweetie." Carly smiled at Carmen. "Welcome to the family. I've heard so much about you!"

Carmen stared at the young woman's swollen belly. "You're going to have a _bebe," _she said.

"Yes, I am," Carly replied. "In just a couple of weeks, as a matter of fact. That means your going to be an aunt! Isn't that exciting?"

"But I can't be an aunt," said Carmen. "I'm just a little girl!"

Everyone laughed.

"How's the reconstruction going in Manhattan?" asked Carly.

"Very slowly," Gary told her. "I expect it'll take at least ten years to restore the Twin Towers to their former glory, probably longer."

"I was so scared when it happened, Dad," said Carly. "I just felt so helpless, knowing all that was going on and that there was nothing at all that I could do."

"It was right after we found out Carly was pregnant," Ben added. "I was so afraid that all the stress she was under would cause her to miscarry."

"Thank God that didn't happen," said Gary.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" Carly offered.

"No, thank you. We're fine," Gary told her. "You look like you should be staying off your feet as much as possible."

Carly laughed. "Oh, I'm fine, Dad."

Gary and Cindy began to get settled. As Ben and Carly's home had only two bedrooms, and one was going to be the nursery, the family would be sleeping in the living room, Gary, Cindy, and the twins on inflatable mattresses, Carmen on the sofa.

That night, Carmen got up in the middle of the night and snuggled up between Gary and Cindy.

* * *

"It's nice to be back on the West Coast," Cindy said to Gary the next day as they were shopping for groceries.

"It really is," Gary agreed. "I didn't realize how much I missed it until we came back."

"So does it make you feel older to realize that you're about to become a grandpa?" asked Cindy.

"You too." Gary grinned.

As Carly showed Cindy the nursery and all her preparations, Cindy found herself becoming excited about the new arrival herself.

"This reminds me so much of when I was getting ready for the twins to be born ten years ago," she commented.

"Did I ever tell you about the day you were born, Carly?" Gary asked his daughter. "Your Mom's due date came and went. She really fell into despair. 'I'm as big as a house, and this baby _still _doesn't want to be born!' she used to complain. Her hands and feet became so swollen that she had to wear flip flops all the time, and she couldn't wear her wedding ring anymore. Then one day she felt so bad that she stayed in bed all day. I was so worried about her that I was planning to take her to the doctor the next day. She started having contractions the next morning. I took her to the hospital, and they admitted her. I paced back and forth in that waiting room for so long that I just about wore holes in the bottoms of my shoes. Finally, in the late afternoon, the doctor came in and told me that I had a healthy baby girl. I was so happy! I couldn't wait to see you. When I first laid eyes on you, I couldn't believe how tiny you were! Your skin was all red and wrinkled and blotchy and you couldn't focus your eyes yet, but to me you were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, and I fell in love with you right away."

Carly had decorated the nursery in a Care Bears theme, and her friends had recently thrown her a baby shower, so she had plenty of clothes and blankets and booties and such. Cindy enjoyed looking through all the cute little outfits.

"It's a shame we have to go back to New York at the end of the week," Gary said. "I'd love to be here for the baby's birth."

Cindy and Carly went on an outing to the local mall one day. Cindy enjoyed seeing all the different stores and had to resist the urge to overspend.

Late that evening, Carly began experiencing severe backaches.

"It looks as if you may be here for the birth, after all," Ben told his father-in-law as he prepared to take his wife to the hospital.

About thirty minutes later, Ben called from the hospital. "She's in labor, all right, but her contractions aren't very strong."

He called again at about two in the morning. "They've been giving her Pitocin, and they still can't get her contractions strong and regular," he told Gary and Cindy. "They're about to break her water and see if that helps."

Gary and Cindy got very little sleep that night. Ben called again at about six the next morning. "They've got her up and walking around. They said that might help make the contractions stronger," he said.

Gary became very worried. "I do hope they don't have to do a C section," he said.

"If they do, it'll be all right," said Cindy. "I came through my C section just fine."

"It took you a long time to recover, though," Gary pointed out. "I don't want to have to worry about my daughter recovering from major abdominal surgery when I'm in New York City and can't do anything to help."

At about nine o'clock, they finally heard from Ben again.

"We have a new daughter!" he exclaimed. "She was born about eight forty-five. Seven pounds, eight ounces."

"Is Carly all right?" asked Gary.

"She's fine, although they did have to do an episiotomy," Ben told him.

"We're grandparents!" Gary shouted excitedly, picking Cindy up and spinning her around.

Gary went to the hospital to visit Carly and the new baby while Cindy stayed with the twins and Carmen. When he returned, Cindy saw that there were tears in his eyes.

"Oh, Cindy, she's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen!" he exclaimed.

Gary stayed with the children so that Cindy could go to the hospital as well. She entered Carly's room to see her stepdaughter smiling and holding the new baby.

"Oh, she's gorgeous!" Cindy exclaimed. "Can I hold her?"

She took the baby into her arms and looked into the newborn's dark, smoky blue eyes. Instantly she was transported back in time to when the twins were newborns.

"Her name is Jacqueline Cynthia Levin," said Carly. "I named her after both my mothers."

"Oh, Carly, thank you!" Deeply touched, Cindy hugged her stepdaughter with her free arm.

* * *

Later that day, Gary called Ken to tell him of little Jacqueline's birth. It appeared to Cindy that Ken had news for him as well, as Gary just listened for a long time without saying anything.

"I see," he finally said. "Well, I'm certainly glad I talked to you before we went all the way back to New York."

"What on earth happened?" Cindy asked after he'd hung up.

"Ken has decided to sell the store," Gary told her. "Looks like we'll be moving back to California."

"Yippee!" shouted Rebecca and Jonathan, dancing around.

Carmen looked deeply worried. "But I've never even been to California!" she exclaimed.


	53. Returning To California

"It'll be so nice to see Mom and Dad again," Cindy said on the long drive back to their old neighborhood.

"My parents as well," Gary replied. "I know I don't say it often enough, Cyn, but it's been wonderful the way you've stood by me over the past several years. I know you made a lot of sacrifices for my sake and the sake of my family, and if I haven't told you before how much I appreciate it, I'm telling you now."

"That's all right, Gar. I did it because I love you." Cindy kissed his cheek.

"Yuck! They're doing that lovey-dovey stuff again!" Jonathan exclaimed from the back seat. Rebecca and Carmen giggled.

The family arrived at Mike and Carol's house late in the evening.

"It's wonderful to see you all again!" Carol exclaimed, hugging each family member in turn. "You're such a pretty little girl!" she told Carmen.

_"Gracias", _Carmen said shyly.

"So the furniture business is over with," Mike said to Gary.

"It is indeed," Gary replied. "I'm going back to the radio station as soon as we're settled, and hopefully Cindy will come with me."

"I'd love to," said Cindy. "How are all the others?" she asked her mother.

"It looks like Patty's going to be the valedictorian and Kevin the salutatorian," Carol told her.

"Wow, that's great!" Cindy exclaimed. "But what about Mickey?"

Carol sighed. "We'll all just be glad if he graduates, period."

"What about the others?"

"Jessica's pregnant." Carol grimaced. "The boy's name is Brent, and he's in jail for stealing a motorcycle."

"Oh, no!" Cindy exclaimed. "Poor Marcia!"

"She'll be happy to see you again," said Carol. "She could use your support."

"I'll bet!" Cindy exclaimed. "How about everybody else?"

"Doing well. Dylan's enjoying middle school. Peyton's into cheer leading, and Preston and Justin both play soccer. Holly just had her tonsils out. Kristen's getting ready for kindergarten. I'm sure they'll all be happy to meet their new cousin."

"I can't wait to introduce them," said Cindy. "So is Bobby still working as a counselor?"

"Oh, yes. He finds it very fulfilling."

"Who's Bobby?" asked Carmen.

"He's your youngest uncle," Cindy told her. "He used to race cars a long time ago, but he got hurt in an accident, so he's in a wheelchair now."

"But can't he ever walk again?"

"No. The doctors said the paralysis was permanent. But he has a happy life and doesn't mind being in a wheelchair. And your two cousins we were talking about, Patty and Preston? They're both adopted, too, just like you are. Patty is from Korea, and Preston is from Bolivia."

_"Bien!" _Carmen grinned.

* * *

Busily choosing the songs to play over the next hour, Cindy wasn't even aware of Gary's presence until he spoke.

"How about having hot dogs in the park with me today?"

Startled, Cindy almost dropped a CD. "Are you flirting with me?"

"What if I am?"

They both laughed and walked out of the radio station holding hands.

"Seems just like old times, doesn't it?" asked Gary.

"What's with these new group names these days?" asked Cindy. "Puddle Of Mud? Jimmy Eat World?"

Gary laughed. "They just get crazier and crazier all the time, don't they?"

Gary bought their hot dogs, and they found a bench in the park to sit on.

"I sure hope the kids are doing OK," said Cindy. All three children had started class at their new school that morning.

"I'm sure they're fine," Gary replied.

"Aunt Cindy and Uncle Gary!"

They turned to see Jessica and Ariel walking toward them.

"I just got back from my obstetrician appointment, and it's such a nice day that we decided to eat lunch outside," Jessica explained.

"Since we were planning on going shopping together afterwards anyway, I just came along," Ariel added.

"How far along are you?" Cindy asked Jessica.

"About six months," Jessica told her. "Brent and I are both really excited."

Cindy wasn't sure what to say.

"Grandma told you he stole a motorcycle, didn't she?"

"Well..."

"He didn't. He was framed. He was just hanging out with his friends and didn't know what they were up to. When the cops showed up, they split and left Brent to take the rap for everything."

Cindy highly doubted the truth of Jessica's story, but she didn't say anything.

"I can't believe you guys are still eating hot dogs," Ariel said to Gary and Cindy. "Don't you know what's in those things?"

"Well, no..." said Cindy.

"Meat in general isn't fit for human consumption," Ariel continued. "It drives your cholesterol way up and clogs your arteries. And just look at how those poor animals are killed! Vegan is the way to go. I haven't eaten meat in almost two years."

"Oh, _really..." _Jessica looked at her knowingly.

"All right, maybe an occasional BLT," Ariel conceded sheepishly. Jessica chuckled, and Ariel glared at her.

Soon it was time to return to the radio station, so Gary and Cindy said good-bye to their nieces and were on their way.

When they saw the children later, Cindy noticed that Carmen was near tears.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" she asked her younger daughter.

"Some kid hurt her feelings," said Jonathan.

"Alexis called me a wetback!" Carmen sniffled. "What's a wetback, Mommy?"

"That's a not very nice word that some people call Mexicans," Cindy told her.

"But I'm not Mexican, Mommy! I'm Puerto Rican!"

"A lot of people who live in California and speak Spanish are Mexicans," Cindy explained. "That's why Alexis thought you were one."

"You know what, Carmen?" asked Gary. "Some children called me unkind names too when I was your age."

"What did they call you, Daddy?" Her curiosity piqued, Carmen stopped sniffling.

"There was this boy named Joey Caminiti who used to call me a kike."

"What did you do when he called you that, Daddy?"

"I ignored him," Gary replied. "Just like you should ignore Alexis if she ever calls you a wetback again. If you do that enough times, she'll see that it doesn't bother you and leave you alone."

Cindy was more quiet than usual for the rest of the evening.

"Why the long face?" Gary asked her as they were getting ready for bed that night.

Cindy sighed. "Sometimes I just almost feel guilty for being white and Christian."

"Well, you shouldn't," Gary told her. "There's no reason for you to." He smiled and pulled her close.


	54. Mickey And Jessica

**June 2002**

"I know Jan and Phil are so proud of her," Cindy said to Gary as they sat listening to Patty's valedictorian speech.

"I'm sure they are," Gary agreed. "She had to have worked very hard for this."

"Besides having an off-the-charts IQ," Cindy added.

"Do you know what she's planning to do?"

"Jan tells me she's been accepted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and that she's planning to major in Computer Science there."

"I'm sure she'll do well at it," Gary replied. "What about Kevin?" Kevin was the salutatorian.

"He's going into pre-med. He wants to be a doctor like his father."

"If it's something he wants for himself, he'll succeed." Gary sounded just a little bit sad, and Cindy knew why. She squeezed his hand in sympathy.

The couple watched as all the graduates received their diplomas, then threw them joyously into the air as one when the ceremony ended. Then they went in search of their nephews and niece.

They found Patty and Kevin smiling proudly as Mike took their picture. Mickey was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Mickey?" asked Cindy.

Carol shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

A few minutes later, Cindy saw Mickey standing with several other boys.

"Hey, Mickey!" she called to him. "Let me get your picture with Patty and Kevin!"

Mickey grimaced but did as she had asked. "Perfect!" Mike exclaimed, snapping the photo.

"Why didn't you want your picture taken with your cousins?" Cindy asked Mickey after the others had gone.

"A dummy like me doesn't fit in with those smart kids," her nephew muttered.

'You're no dummy," Cindy protested. "You're great at working with your hands. Your mom has shown me some of the objects you've carved, and she told me about some of the appliances you've repaired for her."

"But nobody really cares about that type of thing," Mickey complained. "All anyone ever cares about is your IQ and your GPA and all those other initials."

"Well, _I _care about it," Cindy told him. "You're a fine young man, and I'm proud of you."

"Gee, thanks, Aunt Cindy." Mickey grinned and blushed slightly. "That's the nicest thing anybody ever said to me."

* * *

A couple of weeks later, Marcia called Cindy from the hospital.

"Jessica's in labor," she told her younger sister.

"I'll be there just as soon as I can," Cindy replied. She reached the hospital to find Marcia and Wally nervously pacing the waiting room floor as Jan sat quietly.

"She's already four centimeters dilated," Marcia said. "I can't believe this is really happening!"

"The doctor says it's gonna be a while," Wally added.

"Why aren't Brent's parents here?" asked Cindy.

"Jessica says they're out of town," Marcia replied.

Marcia went back to join her daughter in the labor and delivery room, and Wally, Jan, and Cindy sat in the waiting room talking together.

"I certainly never imagined that I'd be a grandfather this young," Wally remarked.

"Life's certainly full of surprises, isn't it," Jan agreed.

"What's Jessica going to do about work?" asked Cindy. Jessica had recently completed the cosmetology course at the local community college and had taken a job in a salon.

Wally shrugged. "I guess she'll just have to use child care when we can't watch the baby. Jess didn't plan this, you know. She let that boy take advantage of her. She's always been too trusting."

"Any idea when Brent's getting out of jail?" asked Jan.

"He has another hearing in a few months," said Wally. "I guess they'll decide then."

"I think it's just so sad that he can't be here for the birth of his own baby," Cindy commented.

"He should have thought about that before he stole that motorcycle," Wally grunted.

It was several hours later that Marcia appeared with tears in her eyes.

"Is everything all right?" Wally asked anxiously.

"Everything's fine," Marcia assured him. "We have a beautiful new grandson."

"All right!" Wally was grinning from ear to ear.

Cindy visited with Jessica and baby Ryder for a few minutes, then returned home to find that all three children were in bed and Gary was on his computer.

"How did it go?" he asked softly.

"It went all right." Cindy sighed. "I don't think Jessica fully realizes what she's gotten herself into. Parenting's hard enough when there are _two _parents."

"Don't I know it." Gary chuckled and embraced his wife.


	55. Miami

**Summer 2003**

"Did you get an email from Jake?" Gary asked Cindy one day.

"I sure did!" Cindy replied.

"We've got a trip to Miami to plan soon."

"Miami's in Florida," said Jonathan.

"That's right! It _is _in Florida," Gary replied.

"That funny-looking state on the very bottom."

"Yes, that funny-looking state on the very bottom." Gary laughed. "Jake and Amber are getting married soon, and we're invited to their wedding."

"Are we gonna take an airplane again?" asked Rebecca.

"Yes, it's too far to drive."

"I've never been on an airplane before." Carmen looked a bit worried.

"There's nothing to it, Carmie," said Jonathan. "You just sit there and read or listen to music, and before you know it, you're there."

The next few days were busy with packing and getting ready for the trip. Jessica brought little Ryder over for a visit one day.

"My, you're a big boy now, aren't you," Cindy said as she took her grand nephew into her arms.

"Goo," said Ryder. Cindy noticed that he had two top teeth and four bottom teeth now.

"Can you say 'Aunt Cindy'?"

"Goo," Ryder said again.

"Is he walking yet?" Cindy asked Jessica.

"He can take a few steps," Jessica told her.

Cindy carefully set the baby's feet on the floor, and he took several steps before falling on his bottom.

"My, aren't you a big boy!" Cindy exclaimed. Ryder gave a clever laugh.

"They grow up so fast," Cindy commented. "It seems just yesterday that the twins were at that stage." Jessica smiled.

"She sure seems to have matured since Ryder was born, doesn't she?" Cindy asked Gary after Jessica and Ryder had left.

"Parenthood tends to do that to people," Gary agreed.

At last the day for departure arrived. Jonathan held Carmen's hand as the family boarded the airplane together.

The flight to Miami took about six hours, so all three children were quite restless by the time the airplane touched down in Dade County Airport. Gary and Cindy's eyes scanned the crowd waiting at the end of the runway.

"There he is!" Rebecca shouted, running toward Jake.

Having not seen her stepson in several years, Cindy was startled by how much he'd changed. He looked taller and more muscular and tanned, and he had a mustache and a small goatee now.

"Dad! Cindy!" he greeted them, fiercely hugging them in turn. "It's so good to see you again! Hey, squirt!" He ruffled Jonathan's hair, then grinned at Rebecca and pinched her cheek. "This is Amber."

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Greenberg." Amber was an attractive young woman, slender with dark hair, green eyes, and a radiant smile. "It's so nice to meet you."

"This is Carmen." Gary glanced around quickly. "Carmen?" But the little girl was nowhere to be found.

Distraught, Gary and Cindy began a frantic search for their younger daughter. After what seemed an eternity, Cindy finally recognized Carmen's shoes underneath the door of the last stall in the women's restroom.

"Carmen? What's wrong, sweetheart? Why'd you run away?"

"I saw my Papi!" Carmen sounded terrified.

"What do you mean? Your Daddy loves you very much!"

"Not him, my _other _Papi! The one who used to hurt me!"

"That's not possible, Carmen."

"But it is! If he sees me, he'll make me go back, and I don't wanna go back! I want to stay with you!"

"Sweetheart, nobody's gonna make you go anywhere. I'll make sure of that."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Carmen unlocked the door to the bathroom stall and let Cindy take her hand and lead her back into the lobby. They were almost to where Gary and the twins stood with Jake and Amber when Carmen screamed and hid her face in Cindy's shirt. "It's him!"

Cindy saw the slight, dark-complected security guard looking their way, perplexed.

"Sweetheart, this isn't your Papi."

The man walked toward them. "I'm Officer Gomez. Is there a problem?"

Carmen peeked cautiously at him. "You're right, Mommy. He _isn't _my Papi. He has the same hair and eyes and skin, but my Papi's bigger and taller."

"She thought she saw her stepfather. He abused her before we adopted her," Cindy explained.

"Poor little girl!" said Officer Gomez. "Would you like to hear a story about something that happened to _my _Papi when he was only a few years older than you are now?"

Intrigued, Carmen nodded.

"When my Papi was a little boy, he lived on a sugar cane farm on a lovely little island called Cuba. He and his family were very happy, until one day something really bad happened. A new leader came to power. His name was Fidel Castro. All of a sudden, my _abuelo, _my grandfather, didn't own his sugar cane farm anymore. He could still live and work there, but it belonged to the government, just like everything else did, and if anybody ever said anything bad about that government, they could go to prison. My Papi couldn't even go to church anymore. All the churches were closed."

"My _abuelo _knew that he had to bring his family to America, so they and some other people all got on a raft and made the journey. They had to sneak away, because if Fidel Castro found out they were trying to leave Cuba, they would go to jail, or even worse. They were very afraid!"

"So there was my Papi on this little raft with a bunch of other people in the middle of the ocean. They all knew that if a big storm came up, the raft would tip over and they'd all drown. They were ever so happy when they finally reached solid ground."

"In America, my Papi finished growing up and graduated high school. A few years later, he married my Mama and I was born. I've lived my whole life right here in Miami, Florida."

Cindy was reminded of Bubbe Golda's long-ago story of her own family's journey to America. She glanced at Gary and wondered if he was thinking about the same thing.

"But didn't your Papi miss his sugar cane farm?" asked Carmen.

"A little bit. It was kind of rough at first. He had to learn a new language and everything. But here in America he was free. He could say and do whatever he wanted."

"I can speak both English _and _Spanish!" Carmen exclaimed.

"So can I!" Officer Gomez chuckled.

"Jonny and Becky can only speak English."

"Well, they're lucky they know you, because you can teach them. I have a little girl too, but she's much smaller than you. Her name is Isabella, but we call her Bella. Would you like to see a picture of her?"

Carmen nodded. "She looks just like me when I was little!" she said when she saw the picture.

"She does look just a little bit like you, doesn't she," Officer Gomez agreed. He and Carmen spoke a little bit longer in Spanish, and then he ruffled her hair and said good-bye.

"Well, it certainly looks like Carmen's made a new friend," Gary remarked.


	56. Meeting The Sterns

As they left the airport with Jake and Amber, Cindy looked out the window of the borrowed van at the palm trees and thought about how similar to southern California southern Florida looked. As the vehicle pulled into the circular driveway in front of the Sterns' home, she had to gasp.

"Wow, Mom, their house is really big!" Rebecca exclaimed.

"Jake's other grandparents must be really rich," Jonathan observed.

"I guess they do all right," Gary said sardonically.

"Quiet, you two. I don't want to hear another word about it," Cindy scolded. "It was very kind of the Sterns to allow us to stay with them so that we wouldn't have to pay for a motel."

Jake parked the van, and the group got out and walked toward the front door, where Ruth Stern greeted them.

"Gary! It's been years!" She embraced him warmly. She was a short, plump woman with curly white hair and bright blue eyes.

"This is my wife Cindy and our children, Rebecca, Jonathan, and Carmen," Gary told Ruth.

"Oh yes, the twins! How old are they now?"

"They just turned eleven."

"Well, now, you'll be ready for your bar mitzvah in just a couple of years, won't you, young man?" Ruth said to Jonathan. Cindy and Gary looked at one another. They hadn't even talked about whether or not Jonathan would have a bar mitzvah yet.

"Well, come on in," Ruth said, stepping aside so that they could enter.

Jack Stern was tall and slender, with sparse grey hair and a mustache. He looked up from where he was sitting on the sofa as the Greenbergs entered. "Well, hello there! How are you folks doing?"

Ruth led the family up the grand circular staircase and down the long hallway to the bedrooms that would be theirs for the endurance of their visit, and they unpacked and got settled and then went back downstairs.

At the evening meal, the conversation quickly turned to Carly and her baby daughter.

"I'm just so happy she named the baby Jacqueline," Ruth gushed. "You should have known her," she said to Cindy. "She was the best daughter anyone could ever hope to have. She was easily the most beautiful girl in her school. From the time she was eleven or twelve, boys were always calling her, wanting to take her out. We practically had to fight them off. And smart! She made the honor roll almost every single time. Won numerous spelling bees. I can't begin to tell you how many times a teacher of hers told me they wished all their students were like Jackie."

Cindy felt a bit awkward. Gary squeezed her hand underneath the table, and she felt much better. "Gary's always spoken very highly of her."

"As well he should," Ruth replied. "She was the best housekeeper and cook anyone could ask for, and she loved Gary and those kids with all her heart. It was just such a loss. Such a loss."

"Gary's always said that Carly's a lot like her mother."

"Oh, she is, she is!" Ruth exclaimed. After the meal, she got out the photo albums and showed Cindy numerous photos of Gary's first wife as a baby, child, and teenager, and later as an adult with Gary and Carly and Jake as young children. Cindy had already seen some of the photos, but not most of them.

Gary was very quiet as he and Cindy prepared for bed that night. Cindy noticed that he looked very pensive. "You're thinking about Jackie, aren't you?" she asked gently.

"Yeah." His voice was very low. She went to him and hugged him tightly. "Thanks, I needed that," he mumbled into her hair. He held her tightly all night long.

Jake and Amber's wedding went off without a hitch. The weather was perfect, and Jake was so handsome in his navy blue suit. Amber was simply gorgeous in her white wedding gown.

"You're my sister now," Rebecca said to her after the ceremony was over.

"That's right!" Amber gave the younger girl a quick hug.

Cindy enjoyed meeting Jake and Amber's friends and the members of the extended Stern family, as well as Amber's family. She heard many stories of Gary's first wife and explained over and over again how she and Gary had met and fallen in love. Everyone made a big fuss over the twins and Carmen.

"Uncle Phil's a great guy," Jonathan said as they were on the way home.

"He isn't our uncle," Rebecca corrected him. "He's Jake's uncle, but to us he's just Mr. Stern."

"But Jake's our brother, so wouldn't his uncle be our uncle too?" Jonathan was confused.

"It's kind of hard to explain," said Rebecca.

"I'm sure he won't mind at all if you want to call him Uncle Phil," Gary told his son.

Everything went fine until later that afternoon, when Carmen took out a piece of candy and began to unwrap it.

"Where did you get that?" Cindy asked her.

"Officer Gomez gave it to me," Carmen replied.

_"Gomez? _Let me see that!" Ruth snatched the candy away from Carmen, glanced at it quickly, and then threw it into the trash. "It's drugs, you know," she said. "It looks and tastes just like strawberry pop rocks, but it's really ecstasy. That's how they get kids hooked. How do you think they get so many new customers?"

"Who's 'they'?" asked Gary.

"He's a security guard at the airport, for crying out loud!" Cindy exclaimed.

"I don't care," Ruth replied. "It's always the ones you'd least suspect."

"I'm getting to the bottom of this right now." Gary fished the candy out of the trash. "I'm taking it to the police department."

"Give me back my candy!" Carmen demanded.

"Come on, sweetheart." Ruth held her hand out to the little girl. "I'll take you to the drug store, and you can pick out any candy you want."

With Gary and Carmen both gone, Cindy decided to take the twins to the beach. She lay on a blanket dozing in the sun while Rebecca and Jonathan frolicked and played. Jonathan tired quickly, of course, and lay in the sun with his mother while Rebecca went in search of new playmates and soon returned disappointed.

"We're not gonna end up staying here for two years like when we went to New York, are we?" she asked her mother.

"Of course not! Why should we?"

"Good! I hate it here! There aren't any young people here at all. Everybody's about a hundred!" She frowned and threw herself down onto the sand.

"Jake and Amber are young," Jonathan reminded her.

"They're about the only ones," Rebecca muttered.

They returned to the Sterns' home not long after that. Carmen sat on the sofa holding a huge bag of candy and grinning happily. Gary had returned with news as well.

"It wasn't ecstasy after all," he told his family. "It was just candy."

"Look, Daddy! Grandma Ruth got me more pop rocks, strawberry, orange, and grape, too!" Carmen announced.

"That's nice," said Cindy. "Just don't eat enough to get a stomachache."

"I won't," Carmen promised.

The rest of the day passed without incident. That night Cindy tucked Carmen in, kissed her good-night, and started to leave the room.

"Mama?" Carmen asked when she was almost out the door.

"Yes?"

"Why would someone close all the churches in a country?"

"Well, sweetie, some people don't believe in God or going to church."

"But they should leave the churches open anyway, for the people who _do _like to go."

"You're absolutely right. They should."

"Mama?"

"Yes?"

"Fidel Castro really was a very bad man, wasn't he?"

Cindy went back to the bed and sat on the edge. "What happened in Cuba could never happen here, sweetheart. Most people like the way our government is run and don't want to change it. A few people might disagree, but the government's much too strong for them to overthrow it."

"Mama?"

"Yes?"

"Do some people really pretend that drugs are candy and give them to kids?"

"Yes they do, Carmen. That's why you have to be super careful who you take candy from. We tell you that every Halloween, but it's true for the rest of the year as well."

Cindy returned to her own bedroom to find Gary sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for her."Is everything all right?"

"Yeah." Cindy yawned. "You know, Ruth didn't think there was anything wrong with Carmen having candy until she found out the officer's last name."

"Yeah. I know."

"It would have been a completely different story if his name had been Jones or Smith."

"Or Goldstein or Rosenberg," Gary added.

Cindy giggled.

"What's funny?"

"I was just remembering something that happened not too long after I met your mom. She told me gentiles couldn't make chicken soup. I didn't know what a gentile was and thought she was insulting me. You just about split your pants laughing."

Gary snickered. "That _was _pretty funny."


	57. Middle School

**August 2003**

"Can I start wearing them, Mom? Please? Caitlin's Mom's letting her wear them this year." Rebecca looked at her mother pleadingly.

"Sure." Cindy glanced at her daughter's emerging breasts. "I was gonna suggest that anyway, but you beat me to it."

"Yay!" Rebecca grabbed a package containing a 'B' cup bra. Cindy frowned and shook her head, reaching for one containing a training bra.

"Well, I guess we're about finished here," she said after buying several training bras for her daughter. "Let's go find your brother. You know how he always disappears when we're shopping in this department."

"I'll bet he's in the video games section," said Rebecca. They rounded up Jonathan and left the store. That night after her shower, Rebecca tried one of the training bras on and looked at herself in the mirror. Pleased, she tried several different poses before reluctantly returning it to its package.

School started a few days later. When Rebecca got off the bus, she saw her best friend, Caitlin, standing with a couple of girls she didn't know. Caitlin saw her and smiled. "Becky! Come on over!"

"Hey!" Rebecca hurried to join her friend.

"This is Hailey and Savanna." Rebecca said 'hi' to the other two girls.

"Are you wearing yours?" Caitlin asked, staring at Rebecca's chest.

"Of course! Are you wearing yours?"

Caitlin nodded. "All three of us are." The four girls giggled. They stood chatting and laughing until time to go to homeroom.

* * *

"I'm invited to a slumber party Friday night," Rebecca told Cindy later in the week.

"Really? Where?"

"Caitlin's house. Hailey and Savanna are gonna be there too."

"That's nice. Sure, you can go. Hope you have fun."

Rebecca arrived at Caitlin's house to find her friend watching music videos on the computer. "Just look at the abs on that guy," Caitlin commented.

"Look at the pecs on that one," Rebecca added. Soon Hailey and Savanna arrived, and the four girls started dancing along to the videos. Later they played games, and much later they made popcorn and watched a DVD.

"My Mom would totally freak out if she knew I was watching this," Hailey commented. "She thinks it's too scary."

"It doesn't scare _me _at all," Savanna bragged.

"Me either," Rebecca quickly agreed.

"This is nothing," said Caitlin. "I once saw a movie that was rated 'R'," she whispered to the other three.

"Wow! Really?"

"Uh huh." Caitlin nodded importantly. "My cousins were visiting, and they put it on and watched it after they thought I'd gone to bed, but I was really peeking out from behind the sofa."

"And you didn't get caught?"

"No way!"

After the movie, Caitlin's mother made them go to bed and turn the lights out. They lay together on a couple of mattresses in the living room, whispering and giggling.

"Hey, Becky," whispered Caitlin. "Have you ever kissed a boy?"

"Not unless you count my brother."

"You kissed your _brother?" _Hailey exclaimed. "Gross!"

"On the _cheek, _silly," Rebecca retorted.

"I saw my sister and her boyfriend making out once," said Savanna. "He put his hand underneath her shirt and touched her right on the..."

She was interrupted by peals of laughter.

"I'd _never _let a boy touch me _there," _Hailey declared.

"I'll bet you would, too," said Caitlin.

* * *

Although he still hadn't made any friends in his new school, things seemed to be going smoothly enough for Jonathan, until one day he saw a word he was completely unfamiliar with scribbled into the corner of a blackboard.

"What's that word mean?" he asked the nearest boy.

The other boy just stared for a minute, then giggled meanly. "He doesn't know what that word means," he said to another boy, who also laughed.

Puzzled, Jonathan decided to wait until later to try to find out what the word meant. In his next class, which was science, he raised his hand and asked the teacher, Mr. Martin, what the word meant. The rest of the class burst out laughing, and Mr. Martin's ears turned red with anger.

"I will _not _tolerate that kind of language in this class!" he barked. "If I ever hear you say that word again, I'm sending you straight to the principal's office. No more warnings."

Jonathan felt hurt and puzzled. All he'd done was ask an innocent question. After class he walked to the bus alone. He saw Rebecca a few steps ahead of him, giggling with her friends, but ignored her.

He decided not to mention the incident to his parents. Judging by Mr. Martin's reaction, they'd probably be upset that he'd even found out the word existed.

A few days later, he was waiting in the lunch line when three other boys surrounded him, completely blocking his exit. He began to feel uncomfortable.

"Have you ever done it with a girl?" one of the three boys asked.

"Done _what _with a girl?" Jonathan was completely baffled.

"You know. _It." _

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Jonathan.

The three boys laughed uproariously. "Well, if you ever need any advice, come talk to us," said one of the three boys. "We're experts." They laughed cruelly once again and turned away from him.

This time Jonathan _did _confide in his mother about what had happened. Cindy told Gary right away. "I think it's time you had 'the talk' with our son, Gar," she suggested.

"I agree with you completely," Gary replied. He grabbed a book off the bookshelf and headed for Jonathan's bedroom with it, returning a half hour or so later.

"Well, how did it go?" asked Cindy.

Gary shook his head and sighed. "It was a completely different experience from telling Jake all those years ago. Jake had already pretty much figured it out from talking to his friends. I just had to clear up some misconceptions he had. Jonny didn't have a clue. He was completely shocked after I told him. I'm afraid I traumatized the poor boy."

"I have a feeling Jonny's got a rough road ahead of him," Cindy replied. "He's going to need all the help we can give him." She reached for her husband, and he took her into his arms and held her. They sat like that for a long time, not saying a word.


	58. Adjustment Problems

Jonathan noticed that Brandon and Tyler were looking at him and snickering. He felt apprehensive, as he knew that such snickering usually tended to precede cruel taunts.

"Hey, Jonathan," called Brandon. "I've got something for you."

Jonathan just stared at him.

"It's a balloon." But it didn't look like any balloon Jonathan had ever seen before.

"Well, aren't you going to blow it up?" asked Tyler.

"Why should I?" asked Jonathan, his eyes narrowed.

"Because if you'll blow it up, we'll be your best friends, won't we, Brandon?"

"Yeah," Brandon agreed. "We'll be your best friends if you'll blow up the balloon."

Jonathan shrugged and put the strange-looking balloon to his lips. Brandon and Tyler immediately started laughing. A few other boys who were standing nearby came over to see what was going on and started laughing as well. Soon practically the entire class was laughing.

"What's going on?" asked Coach Harding. When he saw what Jonathan was doing, his face turned beet red. "Where did you get that?" he demanded, snatching the 'balloon' away and looking at it with disgust.

"Brandon and Tyler gave it to me," Jonathan replied. Coach Harding turned accusing eyes toward the two boys, who both shook their heads vehemently.

"You're coming with me, young man," Coach Harding growled as he pulled Jonathan roughly by the arm toward the principal's office.

* * *

"I wanted to meet with the two of you because I'm very concerned about Jonathan's progress," the principal, Mr. Morton, told Gary and Cindy.

"Academically, he's doing fine, but socially, it's another story altogether," the principal continued. "Jonathan seems to be having a real problem adjusting to the middle school environment. He has no friends and doesn't seem to understand how to make them. Lately, it seems that more and more often he's become the butt of cruel jokes."

"Recently Coach Harding found him attempting to blow up a condom like a balloon. Jonathan claimed that a couple of other boys gave it to him and asked him to blow it up. They deny it, of course, so it's his word against theirs, but I personally tend to believe Jonathan's side of the story."

Cindy just sat there, her mouth hanging open in shock. Jonathan had always had trouble making friends and been teased to a certain extent, but it had never been as bad a problem in elementary school as it seemed to be now.

"Mr. and Mrs. Greenberg, we have a special class for students like Jonathan, students who have a diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome and seem to be having trouble fitting in with their peer group. I'd like to recommend Jonathan for this class. It's taught by Mrs. Klein, and I think that Jonathan would do well in it."

"So instead of changing classes all day long, he would just be in Mrs. Klein's class all day?"

"That's the way it would be at first. Depending upon Jonathan's progress, we would possibly consider mainstreaming him for maybe one of two periods a day later on."

Gary and Cindy looked at one another. "We just want what's best for Jonathan," Cindy finally said, and Gary nodded.

* * *

Jonathan found that he enjoyed his new class very much. Mrs. Klein was always kind and patient, and the other kids never picked on him, like the kids in the regular classes had. Without having to continuously worry about who was going to throw a spitball at him, he found it easier to concentrate on his lessons, and when there was a break, the other children tended to take out books to read or work on the computer rather than congregating in little groups to whisper and giggle. The class did seem much quieter than his old class had, but that was the way he liked it.

One morning Rebecca got off the bus and went to stand with Caitlin, Hailey, and Savannah like she usually did, but when she got closer to them, she sensed that something was different. The three girls had been in a tight knot whispering together, but when they saw Rebecca, they immediately stopped.

"Hi, everybody!" Rebecca said cheerfully.

"Hi, Becky," said Caitlin, looking away guiltily.

"How's your brother?" asked Hailey.

"Yeah, we heard he got moved to the class for retards," Savanna snickered.

"Jonny is _not _a retard!" Rebecca lunged at Savanna, scratching her face and pulling her hair.

"Fight! Fight!" the other children chanted, gathering in a circle around the two girls, who punched and slapped at one another with abandon.

"What's going on here?" The assistant principal, Mrs. Daley, grabbed each girl by the arm and pulled them apart, then headed for Mr. Morton's office with them.

"Vanna called Jonny a retard!" Rebecca protested.

"Did not!" Savanna retorted.

"You'll just have to talk it over with Mr. Morton," Mrs. Daley said grimly.

* * *

"I'm disappointed in you, Becky," Cindy told her daughter as she drove her home. "You've never gotten into a fight in school before."

"Vanna called Jonny a retard!" Rebecca said hotly.

"I don't care. There's no justification for starting a physical fight."

"Does that mean I'm in trouble?" Rebecca asked timidly.

Cindy sighed. "We'll have to see what your father says when he gets home."

Rebecca went to her room and stayed there for the rest of the day, dreading her father's return from work.

"What's wrong?" Carmen asked her sister when she got home from elementary school.

"I don't want to talk about it," Rebecca muttered. Carmen shrugged and went outside to play.

* * *

"What's wrong with Becky?" Gary asked Cindy after dinner.

"She got into a fight with another girl today," Cindy told him. "She says the other girl called Jonny a retard. Mr. Morton called me from the school this morning. I had to go pick her up."

"Becky got into an actual physical fight? I don't believe it!"

"I had a hard time believing it myself. Its so unlike her."

Gary sighed. "Well, she has to learn that that type of behavior is unacceptable." He and Cindy went to Rebecca's room together.

"Becky, I know that what the other girl said about Jonny hurt you," Gary began. "But that doesn't excuse your getting into a fight with her. There's going to be no TV, no computer, and no video games for the rest of the week. You'll just have to stay in your room and read, or do something else quiet."

"OK, Dad." Rebecca began to cry huge, gulping sobs. Gary sat beside her on the bed and held and comforted her until the sobs diminished.


	59. Pool Party

**August 2004**

"Kelsey's, like, the most popular girl in the seventh grade!" Rebecca exclaimed. "I was, like, totally thrilled to get invited to her pool party!"

Cindy drove slowly through the upper-middle-class neighborhood, searching for the house number written on Rebecca's invitation. She planned to drop Rebecca off at the pool party and then go to her appointment at the hairdresser's. By the time she was finished at the hairdresser's and running a few other errands, she thought, the party would be just about over.

Jonathan had been hurt that he hadn't been invited to the party too, even after Cindy had told him that it would be mostly just girls, so Gary had promised to take him and Carmen roller skating after he'd finished some household chores in the morning.

Rebecca saw that Britney and Courtney were already at the party when she arrived. All three girls ran up to the van squealing excitedly as Rebecca arrived.

"Have fun," Cindy told her daughter. "And don't forget to thank Kelsey's parents for the invitation afterwards."

"I won't, Mom." Rebecca hurriedly got out of the van and raced to the pool with her friends.

"You'll never guess who called me last night!" Kelsey announced. "Ryan Harris!"

"No way!" said Britney.

Kelsey giggled. "He wanted to know if I was going to the mall this evening. I told him I hadn't planned on it, but now that I know he's gonna be there, I'm gonna beg my Mom to take me after the party."

"I thought he was going with Staci Miller," said Courtney.

"They broke up on Friday," Kelsey replied.

"I'll bet they get right back together again Monday," said Britney.

"They'd better not." Kelsey frowned.

"What about you, Becky?" asked Courtney. "Who do you like?"

"I think Josh Andrews is kind of dreamy," Rebecca replied. To her it was kind of a mute point, since her parents had told her that she couldn't go on real dates until she was sixteen, anyway.

Kelsey made a face. "He lisps."

"I know, but he is kind of cute, though," said Rebecca.

"Yeah, if you go for that kind of thing," said Britney.

_"What _kind of thing?" asked Rebecca.

"Darcy's here!" Courtney announced excitedly, and the girls ran to greet the newest arrival.

"I hope you girls are hungry," Kelsey's mother, Mrs. James, said after awhile.

"No, thanks," said Britney. "I'm on a diet."

"You're not fat," Rebecca told her. Britney was, in fact, one of the thinnest girls she knew.

"Yeah, and I intend for it to stay that way."

After hors d'oeuvres, there was a delicious cake with pink icing and tiny edible shoes on top, and then Kelsey opened her presents. Rebecca watched anxiously as the other girl unwrapped one expensive present after another. What if her own present to Kelsey wasn't good enough? She knew she'd just die if Kelsey hated it!

At last Kelsey got to the pair of earrings Rebecca had given her. "Oh, look! Some really cool earrings!" she said. Rebecca went dizzy with relief, then unexpectedly felt a sharp pain across her abdomen.

"Are you all right, Rebecca?" asked Mrs. James.

Rebecca's eyes filled with tears. She just _knew _the other girls were going to laugh at her. "I need to use your restroom," she whispered to Mrs. James.

"Oh, of _course, _dear." Mrs. James took her by the hand and led her inside the house. Suddenly all the chatter came to a complete stop. Rebecca's cheeks burned as she realized that all the other girls were staring at her.

Once in the bathroom, she hurriedly peeled off her swimsuit and was aghast to see the blood. In a panic, she wondered what to do. She hadn't brought a change of clothing, as she'd had no idea that this was going to happen.

"Are you all right, dear?" Mrs. James asked from outside the door after awhile.

Rebecca opened the door ever so slightly. "I just got my period," she whispered to Mrs. James.

"The first time?"

Rebecca nodded.

"Oh, dear!" Mrs. James sighed. "Well, you can borrow some of Kelsey's clothes, I guess, and I've got some supplies you can use, but you'll need to call your mother right away, of course."

Rebecca started to protest over borrowing Kelsey's clothes, imagining what the other girl's reaction would probably be, then quickly realized that there was no other option.

"My Mom's out shopping," she told Mrs. James.

"Well, isn't your father or somebody at home?"

Rebecca cringed at the thought of telling her father what had happened. She briefly considered just calling her grandmother instead, but then realized that Carol didn't even know that she was at the party and certainly had no idea how to get to Kelsey's house.

Reluctantly, Rebecca went with Mrs. James to call her father. Instead of handing her the phone, her friend's mother briefly told Gary what had happened and quickly gave him directions to her house.

When Gary showed up with Jonathan and Carmen a few minutes later, Rebecca dragged her feet as she walked out to the car. She didn't look at anyone or say a single word as she got in.

The ride back home was completely silent, and once there, Rebecca ran to the room she shared with Carmen and slammed the door shut.

It was only then that she realized that she'd forgotten to say good-bye to her friends at the party.


	60. Britney's Secret

Cindy knocked gently on Rebecca's door. "Becky, honey? It's me, Mom. May I come in, please?"

Wordlessly Rebecca went to the door and opened it, and her mother entered and sat on Rebecca's bed.

"Your Dad told me what happened at the party," Cindy said quietly.

"Oh, Mom, I was so embarrassed!" Rebecca was near tears.

"I know you were, sweetie. I'm sorry." Cindy chuckled, and her eyes held a faraway look. "I remember when I got _my _first period. English had just ended, and I was on my way to history when I heard a couple of girls behind me giggling. Then I heard one of them say 'She probably doesn't even know.' Then I felt the other girl tap me on the shoulder and heard her tell me to go to the bathroom. When I got there, I saw what had happened and just about died."

"Oh, no!" Rebecca giggled. "That's even worse than what happened to me!"

Cindy chuckled. "I went into that new book store that's opened up across from Target this morning," she said. "I found this book that I was thinking of giving to you for one of the eight nights of Hanukkah, but I think it would be better to just give it to you right now."

She handed the book to Rebecca. It's title was 'Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.' Fascinated, Rebecca read the book's synopsis on the back and then flipped through the pages. "Wow, thanks, Mom!" she exclaimed. She began reading the book and became so absorbed in it that Cindy had to call her for dinner three times.

"You must really be enjoying your new book," Cindy said with a smile.

"Oh, yes!" Rebecca replied. "Margaret in the book is just like me, 'cept she doesn't have a twin brother and a little sister."

"I remember that book," Gary commented. "I'm pretty sure my sister read it when she was about your age, Becky."

"You mean, like, that book was popular in Aunt Melissa's time?" Rebecca rolled her eyes. "That's, like, _so _uncool!"

Gary and Cindy burst out laughing.

* * *

One afternoon after seventh grade had started, Rebecca was taking a bathroom break after lunch when she heard the sound of someone throwing up in an adjacent stall.

"Are you all right?" she asked, but the other girl didn't answer. A moment later, Rebecca heard the other girl leave the stall, then hurry out of the restroom. She opened her own door in time to see the girl's back and realized that she was Britney, the girl who'd refused to eat at Kelsey's party.

"Britney!" she called, rushing down the hallway after the other girl.

"Go away!" Britney said rudely, not even turning around.

"Are you sick?" asked Rebecca.

"I said go away, Greenberg!" Britney snapped, but this time she did turn around, and Rebecca saw the fear in her eyes.

"Don't be afraid," Rebecca told Britney. "I won't tell anybody if you don't want me to."

"I just ate too much at lunch, that's all," Britney mumbled, walking more slowly so that Rebecca could catch up with her.

"You ate so much that it made you throw up?" Rebecca was incredulous.

"No, silly." Britney rolled her eyes, then grabbed Rebecca's arm and pulled her to the side. "Can't you see?" she hissed in whispered tones. "It's the only way I can keep from gaining too much weight!"

"You make yourself throw up?" Rebecca's eyes widened with shock, but Britney had already dashed away.

Rebecca wasn't really able to concentrate on her school work for the rest of that day, and when she arrived home, Cindy was able to tell from her expression that something was wrong. "What is it, Becky?" she asked.

"Mom, is it normal for someone to make herself throw up so that she won't gain weight?"

"No!" Cindy was shocked. "Who do you know that does that?"

"Britney. She was one of the girls at Kelsey's pool party. She wouldn't eat anything then, and today after lunch, she made herself throw up. I was in the bathroom at the same time and heard her."

Cindy sat on the sofa and motioned for Rebecca to sit beside her. "Becky, some girls have a disorder that makes them see themselves as being too fat even when they're not. Sometimes these girls starve themselves or make themselves throw up or overdose on diet pills or laxatives. Sometimes they get so thin that they have to be hospitalized."

Rebecca was afraid to ask the next question, but she had to know. "Do they starve themselves to death sometimes, just like people in concentration camps?" She'd seen pictures of Nazi concentration camp inmates before, and she knew that some of them had been her distant relatives on her father's side. She didn't like to think about it, but her father said that it was important that they be remembered so that it would never happen again.

"Sometimes." Cindy nodded gravely. "Your friend has a mental illness, Becky. What she's doing is causing severe damage to her body, but her fear of getting too fat is so great that she doesn't even realize that. She needs professional help, and I hope that her parents see that she gets it."

"I don't think they even know what she does. I think she's too afraid to tell them."

"Well, if this continues, I'm sure they'll eventually see that something's wrong."

"I hope so." Rebecca was both fascinated and frightened by Britney and her problem. She wondered if she should say something to Britney about it, but quickly decided that that would probably only make the other girl angry. She wondered whether she should mention the situation to one of her teachers, then remembered her promise to Britney not to say anything to anyone. In the end she decided that there probably wasn't really anything at all that she could do about it, and that thought made her feel very sad.


	61. Budding Actress

**December 2004**

"And now for the results of the audition for our class' production of 'Phantom of the Opera'," Mrs. Hinote, the seventh grade chorus instructor, began. "The part of Erik will be played by Blake Harris, the part of Raoul will be played by Mason Wells, and the part of Christine will be played by..." Every female student in the class held her breath. "Rebecca Greenberg!" Mrs. Hinote finished.

Rebecca could only sit there and grin as all the other girls in the class looked at her with a mixture of admiration and envy. Mrs. Hinote had moved onto another subject, but she could barely hear her. She'd actually won the part of Christine! Out of all the applicants, they'd chosen her!

Mason Wells stopped her on the way out of class. "You know we're gonna have to get together at either your place or mine to practice," he told her.

"My dad plays piano," Rebecca replied. "I'll ask if you can come over to practice. I'm sure he won't mind." Mason was of average height with medium brown hair, brown eyes, and a friendly smile. Rebecca thought that he was fairly nice looking. She'd only recently begun thinking of boys that way.

She was on her way to her last class of the day when she became aware that a group of several girls were following her. "Sing for me, angel of music!" one of them called, followed by a burst of giggling. Rebecca turned to see Michelle Reed and a couple of her friends. Knowing that Michelle had auditioned for the part of Christine as well and was just jealous, Rebecca ignored the girls.

She felt as if she were walking on clouds for the rest of the day. "Hey, Mom, guess what! I get to be Christine in 'Phantom of the Opera'!" she shouted excitedly as she dashed into the house after getting off the bus.

"Oh, wow! That's great, honey!" Cindy exclaimed, wiping her hands on a dish towel as she walked out of the kitchen.

"I can't wait to tell Dad!" Rebecca added.

It was all she could talk about at the dinner table. "Whoa, Becky! Let your brother and sister get a word in every now and then!" Gary chuckled.

"Sorry," said Rebecca. "I guess I just got a little carried away."

"That's all right. It's perfectly understandable," her father said with a smile.

As Rebecca had predicted, Gary was more than willing to play piano when Mason came over to practice the duet they were to sing together, 'All I Ask Of You.'

Cindy, Jonathan, and Carmen sat on the sofa watching them practice. "Everywhere you go, let me go too. Love me, that's all I ask of you," Rebecca and Mason sang together, facing one another and holding hands.

"Bravo!" their audience of three cried, clapping enthusiastically.

"Sarah Brightman would be so proud of you!" Cindy added.

* * *

Later that evening, Cindy noticed that Jonathan seemed a bit dejected. "Is something wrong, honey?" she asked him.

Jonathan sighed heavily. "I just don't feel special, like Becky and Carmen," he told his mother. "Carmen has her cheer leading, and now Becky has her play, but I don't have anything!"

"Oh, Jonny!" Cindy exclaimed. "Of course you do! You're a real whiz at computers and gaming. Just because you don't do that in front of an audience doesn't mean it doesn't matter!"

"I guess you're right." Jonathan sighed again.

"One day you're going to realize how very special you really are," Cindy predicted.

* * *

At last the big night arrived. The lunch tables and seats had been removed from the school cafeteria, to be replaced by plastic chairs for the parents and other audience members to sit in. At the front of the cafeteria, a set of black curtains parted to reveal the seventh grade chorus standing on bleachers, where they sang their opening number, "The Phantom of the Opera is there, inside your mind."

The curtains closed, then reopened to reveal Rebecca/Christine standing in a cemetery looking down at her father's grave. She wore a floor-length white gown, and her long, curly, dark brown hair cascaded down her shoulders as she sang her solo, 'Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again.'

"Wishing I could hear your voice again, knowing I never will," she sang plaintively as she gazed down at the grave.

The scene changed again, and Blake/Erik held Rebecca/Christine captive in the basement of the opera house as he sang 'Music of the Night.' The scene then changed several more times, until at last the chorus began to sing 'Think Of Me Fondly' as Blake/Erik bid good-bye to Mason/Raoul and Rebecca/Christine.

They hadn't quite finished singing the song when suddenly there was a commotion in the bleachers. "It's Britney," one of the chorus members said. "She's passed out!"


	62. Britney's Secret Part Two

The performance came to an abrupt halt as the cafeteria lights were instantly switched back on. A crowd of audience members with Britney's mother in the lead dashed for the stage as Mrs. Hinote shouted for everyone to stay back and not crowd the students. Within moments an ambulance arrived, and the students and their families slowly filed out of the cafeteria and headed for the parking lot.

"You were great, sweetie," Gary said in an effort to console his daughter.

"Mason and Blake and I were supposed to all run out onto the stage together and bow to the audience at the end," Rebecca said dejectedly.

"That's all right," Cindy said. "At least you got to perform all your songs."

"I hope Britney's gonna be OK," said Jonathan.

"I hope so too, sweetie," Cindy replied.

"Anybody in the mood for ice cream?" asked Gary.

"Yay!" shouted all three kids.

Gary pulled into the parking lot of the Dairy Queen, and the family went inside. While eating her blizzard, Rebecca reflected that perhaps it was selfish of her to be chagrined at the ruination of her performance rather than concerned about Britney.

But she wasn't _totally _unconcerned, she told herself. She _did _hope that her friend was going to be all right. She just wished that Britney could have waited another five minutes before passing out, that was all.

As she lay in bed that night, she remembered the time she'd caught Britney throwing up in the restroom at school and about what her mother had told her afterwards. Was Britney going to die? If she did, would it somehow be her fault for knowing Britney's secret but not telling anyone?

At chorus the following week, Mrs. Hinote gave the class an update on Britney's condition.

"The reason she passed out was because she had an electrolyte imbalance," the teacher announced. "That means that her system got all out of whack because she wasn't getting the nutrients she needed. She's in the hospital now, being nourished through an I.V. The physicians say she's responding well and should be able to come home in a few days."

Rebecca felt as if someone had just thrown a bucket of cold water into her face. _So Mom was right, _she told herself. _Well, at least she's getting help now. _Yet she couldn't help but wonder if Britney could have avoided being hospitalized if she'd gotten help sooner.

Rebecca lingered near Mrs. Hinote's desk after class. "Yes, Rebecca?" The teacher looked up at her imploringly.

"Mrs. Hinote? Um...there's something you should know about Britney."

"Yes?"

"This happened back in the fall, but one day I was going to the bathroom when I heard someone throwing up in there. When they came out, I saw that it was Britney. I asked her if she was sick, and she said that she made herself throw up so that she wouldn't gain weight."

There! It was finally out. Rebecca felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders, but rather than looking shocked or outraged as she'd expected, Mrs. Hinote only nodded in understanding.

"I suspected it was something like that," she said. "I didn't say anything because I wasn't absolutely sure, but I'm familiar with the signs. Thank you for telling me that, Rebecca. It'll help me know better how to help Britney."

At home that evening, Rebecca told Cindy the news about Britney. "Well, I'm certainly glad that she's doing better," Cindy replied. "Although I'm afraid that if Britney keeps making herself throw up, she's only going to end up in the hospital again, and next time, she might not be as lucky."

* * *

The following week, Rebecca was on her way to class when she heard someone calling her name and turned to see Britney. "Hey, I'm sorry I wrecked your play," Britney said.

"That's all right," Rebecca replied, falling into step beside the other girl. "I'm just glad you're OK now."

"I'm still scared of getting fat," Britney mumbled.

"Believe me, Britney, you're a long way from being fat," Rebecca replied. "You're the skinniest person I know!"

"That's what everyone tells me," said Britney. "But every time I look in the mirror, all I can see is flab."

"I know the thought of getting fat is scary," Rebecca told her friend. "But making yourself throw up isn't the answer. Have you ever seen pictures of concentration camp inmates?"

"Yeah, they're in our history book. So?"

"Some of them were related to me on my dad's side, and if you keep making yourself throw up, you're gonna look just like them some day. A bunch of them died, you know."

"I'd rather be dead that fat," Britney stated adamantly.

"No, you wouldn't."

"I would so. You know what? My mom's making me go to a shrink now. She thinks he's going to straighten me out. She doesn't realize that she's just wasting her money."

"Maybe he _can _help you."

"I don't wanna talk about it any more." Britney skipped ahead to catch up with a group of girls. Rebecca watched her silently.


	63. Science Competition

**April 2006**

"Can I have a puppy, Mom? Please?" Rebecca begged Cindy. Caitlin's shih tzu had just given birth to five puppies, and Rebecca wanted one very badly.

"A puppy is a big responsibility," Cindy told her daughter. "You have to feed it, clean up after it, bathe it..."

"I know all that, Mom," Rebecca said impatiently.

"And that means every day, Becky, not just once in awhile, when you feel like it," Cindy added. "Pet ownership is a commitment. You can't just get tired of taking care of an animal and dump it at the pound."

"I _know, _Mom," Rebecca insisted. "I'd never do that!"

"I'll speak to your father about it over dinner," Cindy promised.

A couple of hours passed. Cindy cooked pork chops, potatoes, and carrots and peas for dinner. Gary came home from the radio station and kissed his wife hello.

"Rebecca wants an addition to the family," Cindy announced as the Greenbergs were eating.

Gary looked shocked for a moment, then laughed a bit uneasily. "Sorry to disappoint you, Becky, but we've already gotten rid of all the baby stuff."

Rebecca and Carmen giggled. "It's a _puppy, _Daddy!" Carmen exclaimed.

Gary looked immensely relieved. "Well, in that case..." He looked at Cindy. "Have you discussed this with your mother?"

"She said she'd talk to you about it," Rebecca replied.

"Well, if it's OK with her, then it's OK with me," Gary said. "But I'm warning you right up front: my days of cleaning up poop are over."

"Oh, thank you, Dad!" Rebecca exclaimed.

After dinner Rebecca called Caitlin to see if she could come over to look at the puppies. Then Gary drove her to Caitlin's house, and about half an hour later, the two of them returned with a large box containing a whimpering puppy.

Rebecca lifted the puppy from the box and showed him to her mother. He was white with tan markings. "Isn't he adorable?" asked the teenager. "I named him Buddy."

"He _is _cute." Cindy reached for the puppy, who urinated all over her hands right away.

* * *

Several weeks later, Rebecca came home from school excited. "The whole eighth grade is having a science competition," she told Cindy. "There are gonna be awards for first, second, and third place."

"Wow," said Cindy. "And what's your science project going to be about?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"Well, you've done an excellent job at taking care of Buddy so far," Cindy said thoughtfully. "Why don't you do it on the care and development of puppies?"

"That's a great idea!" Rebecca exclaimed. "I'll get started right away!"

"Are you going to do a project too, Jonny?" Cindy asked her son, who'd silently entered the house a few seconds after his sisters. He nodded.

"Have you already decided what you're going to do it on?"

Jonathan nodded again.

"What?"

"I'm gonna design my own computer game." He disappeared into his bedroom. Cindy knew she wouldn't see him again until dinnertime.

At dinner, all Rebecca could talk about was her science project. "I've got some pictures that I took of Buddy when we first got him," she told her family. "And I'm gonna take some more so that everyone can see how much he's grown. I'm gonna get one of those big poster boards to put them on."

"Great!" said Gary. "How's the computer game project coming along, Jonny?"

"All right."

"Well, let me know if you need any help, OK?"

"'K." Jonathan didn't say a word for the rest of the meal.

* * *

"You'd never believe how complicated this computer game project of Jonathan's is," Gary said to Cindy several nights later. "There's this character, Jonny calls him Skinny-guy, and anyhow, Skinny-guy has to avoid all these obstacles and make it back to his home. Jonny calls it Happy Land. Anyway, I tried to help him with it but realized right away that it was way, way over _my _head. I ended up having to email Patty in Massachusetts for help, and she's been helping him over the internet as much as she can."

"He sure is putting a lot of work into the project," Cindy remarked. "I sure hope he gets a good grade on it."

At last the day for the judging of the eighth grade science projects arrived. The entire eighth grade assembled in the cafeteria to learn the results. Rebecca sat talking and laughing with a group of her friends while Jonathan sat alone silently looking on.

"It's time to announce the winners," Mr. Morton declared at last. Suddenly the cafeteria was completely silent. "Third place goes to Craig Adams for his demonstration of the mechanics of how lightning occurs, second place goes to Ashley Moore and her report on the history of the cultivation of various fabrics, and our first place winner is..." He paused for dramatic effect. "Jonathan Greenberg, for his computer game 'Skinny-guy!'"


	64. Jonathan The Celebrity

"Wow, just look what a retard can do when he puts his mind to it," muttered a voice right behind Rebecca. Rebecca immediately swung around and grabbed the front of the girl's shirt in her fist, preparing to deliver a blow.

"Hey, hey, hey!" shouted Mrs. Duke, Rebecca's homeroom teacher, grabbing Rebecca's arm before she could smash her fist into the other girl's face. "None of that!"

"I'm sick of people making fun of Jonny because he's in special ed," Rebecca complained.

"Apologize right away, Jamie," Mrs. Duke ordered the other girl.

"Sorry, Rebecca," Jamie smirked.

The rest of the student body all crowded around Jonathan, congratulating him and asking questions about his project. Jonathan, unaccustomed to so much positive feedback at one time, wasn't quite sure how to handle it. For the rest of the school day, he timidly attempted to avoid being drawn into further conversation.

"Guess what!" Rebecca announced when she got home that afternoon. "Jonny's computer game won first place in the science competition!"

"That's wonderful!" Cindy embraced her son who, as usual, trailed both his sisters into the house.

"Yeah." Jonathan blushed deeply and stared at the floor.

There was an article in the newspaper about the science competition the following day, along with a picture of a grinning Jonathan holding up the disc containing his computer game.

Suddenly Jonathan seemed to have turned into a celebrity. Kids who'd either bullied him or acted as if he didn't exist before now went out of their way to be friendly to him, and he even got invited to parties and other social functions where, without fail, he was asked to demonstrate his new computer game.

An even greater surprise came several weeks later, when an envelope addressed to Jonathan arrived in the mail from the Academy of Advanced Information Technology. As badly as Cindy wanted to rip it open to see what it contained, she forced herself to wait until her son got home from school.

"This came in the mail for you today," she announced, handing the envelope to Jonathan.

Slowly he opened it, and as he read the enclosed letter, his eyes grew wide. "Wow!"

"What does it say?" Cindy asked eagerly.

"'We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to receive a four-year tuition-free scholarship. Books and transportation will be provided,'" Jonathan read.

The Academy of Advanced Information Technology was an expensive private high school that was about a 45-minute drive from the Greenberg home. Almost all its students came from wealthy families, except for a small number of carefully selected students who were there on scholarship. It was for students who planned to enter computer programming or a related field upon graduation. The course work was very difficult, and only the most intelligent students passed all their classes with good grades.

"Wow, Jonny! That's where all the rich kids and super brains go!" Rebecca exclaimed.

"I know," Jonathan said awkwardly.

That evening after dinner, Gary and Cindy had a lengthy discussion about whether or not Jonathan should accept the scholarship. "It certainly sounds like a good opportunity for him," Cindy said.

"It certainly does," Gary agreed. "But do you think he'd be happy there? You know what a difficult time he's always had with adjusting to change."

"Well, high school is a big change from middle school anyway," Cindy pointed out. "Would a change to a private high school necessarily be a bigger change than one to a public high school?"

"He'll be around a different type of student," Gary replied. "These will be kids who are serious about learning. The trouble makers and problem students will have already been weeded out."

"That's a good point," Cindy said. "I'm glad you mentioned it. I'll talk to Jonny to see how he feels about it, and if he agrees, we'll call and tell the school we're accepting their offer."

* * *

"Well, sure, I'd like to go," Jonathan told his mother. "I think it's a great idea."

"You'd have to work very hard," Cindy said. "The classes are going to be more difficult than the classes in public school."

"I don't mind that," Jonathan replied. "They must think I'm smart enough if they offered me a scholarship."

"Of _course _you're smart enough," said Cindy. "You just need to know what to expect so that you can be prepared. I think you're going to be just fine."

* * *

"So Jonny really is going to this other school instead of to public school with me?" Rebecca asked Cindy one day after summer vacation had begun.

"That's the plan, yes," Cindy told her older daughter. She frowned and brushed a dark brown curl back from her daughter's face. "You look upset about something, dear."

"It's just that Jonny and I have always gone to the same school together, ever since kindergarten. It just won't feel right to walk into school without him this year."

"It might seem strange at first," Cindy agreed. "But you'll be around your friends again, and you'll make new ones as well, so after things get settled, everything will be fine."

"You don't understand! You're not a twin!" Rebecca burst into tears.

Cindy told Gary about the incident when he returned from work that day.

"She's right, you know. You're _not _a twin." He winked at her, and she rolled her eyes.


	65. The Earrings

**December 2006**

"Look at those earrings! Aren't they rad?" asked Rebecca.

"They're all right," Olivia replied. The two girls were looking around in one of the jewelry stores at the mall.

"My Mom would really love those," Rebecca continued wistfully. "I sure wish I could get them for her for Christmas."

"Well, why can't you?" asked Olivia.

"I don't have enough money," Rebecca said sadly. The two girls visited several more stores, and then it was time to meet Olivia's mother at the mall's entrance.

"Thanks for the ride," Rebecca said as she got out of the car at her house.

"It's no problem at all," her friend's mother replied.

Rebecca walked to the front door and went inside. "Well, did you find anything interesting?" Cindy asked her as she entered the house.

"Not really," Rebecca sighed as she went to her room, where Carmen was using the computer.

"Hey, Becky, do you have a pen I could borrow?" the younger girl asked.

"I think there's one in my purse," Rebecca replied, noticing that her purse was unzipped. _That's funny, _she thought. _I don't remember unzipping it, and when I do, I always zip it right back up. _As she was getting the pen out for Carmen, her fingers brushed against something. She was shocked to discover that it was the pair of earrings she'd admired earlier at the mall.

Her heart began to pound as she realized that Olivia had stolen the earrings and put them in her purse. Quickly she stuffed them back into the purse, wondering what to do. Should she take them back to the jewelry store and tell the manager what had happened? They might not believe her. Should she say nothing and just give the earrings to Cindy for Christmas? She knew that there was no way she could ever feel right about doing that.

She worried about the situation all weekend, and on Monday, she confronted Olivia about it at school. "You stole those earrings and put them in my purse!"

Olivia shrugged. "So?"

_"So? _You _stole _them!"

"So what if I did? Stores have insurance against that type of thing anyway, so what's the harm?" Olivia laughed. "Would you rather be a goody-goody and have nothing nice to give your Mom for Christmas or give her the earrings?"

Rebecca didn't know what to say. If it was true that stores were insured against theft, then the jewelry store would be reimbursed for the earrings, wouldn't it?

"Half the stuff I own is stuff I stole from stores," Olivia continued nonchalantly. "Everybody does it. It's no big deal."

Rebecca walked away from her friend unable to believe her ears.

That night, Gary sat in the living room strumming his guitar idly when he sensed someone watching him and glanced up to see Rebecca silently standing there with troubled eyes. "What is it, Beck?" he asked.

"Dad..." Rebecca walked to the sofa and sat down, unsure exactly how to start. "If someone does something wrong that doesn't really hurt anyone and makes someone else happy, then is that all right?"

"Is this 'someone' we're talking about you, Becky?" Gary asked gently.

"Oh, no." Rebecca shook her head quickly. "Well, not exactly," she amended a moment later.

"All right. Well, if what this person did was really wrong, then undoubtedly someone was hurt, possibly the person himself or herself. What exactly are we talking about, Becky?"

Rebecca heaved a deep sigh. "Promise you won't get mad?"

"If you're completely honest with me, then I promise not to get mad at you."

"Well, last Saturday night I was at the mall with Olivia when I saw these really rad earrings that I knew Mom would love. I really wanted to get them for her for Christmas, but they cost twenty bucks, and I didn't have that much money. I told Olivia that, and later on, I found the earrings in my purse. Today I told Olivia that I know what she did, and she said that it's no big deal, that everybody does it. She said stores are insured against theft so they aren't really losing anything. Is that right, Dad?"

To Rebecca's relief, her father didn't look shocked or angry. "She's wrong, Becky," he said softly. "Stores have to pay for theft insurance, and that cost gets passed along to the customers, so everything costs more than it would otherwise."

"Oh, I didn't know that."

"Since you didn't take the earrings yourself, you're not going to be punished," Gary continued. "But tomorrow, you and I are going to take the earrings back to the store, and if you really want to give them to your mother for Christmas, I'll find some extra chores you can do around here to earn the money. And Becky..." He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Let's not say anything about this to your Mom, OK?"

"Thanks, Dad!" Rebecca exclaimed gratefully.


	66. A Suspicious Abnormality

**October 2008**

"I'm gonna be a couple of hours late coming into the radio station tomorrow," Cindy told Gary one evening. "The appointment for my mammogram is in the morning."

"Good luck." Gary rolled his eyes, and Cindy grimaced. She found the procedure uncomfortable but knew that it was necessary.

The following morning she got the kids off to school and Gary off to work, then arrived at the clinic five minutes before her scheduled appointment time. She read an article in Reader's Digest about a family that had lost everything they owned in Hurricane Katrina until she was called back.

The mammogram took only a few minutes, and when it was over, Cindy went on to work.

"Everything all right?" Gary asked when he saw her.

"It's all coming back into shape again, very slowly," she told him. He laughed and patted her rump.

The high school that Rebecca and Carmen attended, and for which Carmen cheered, had a football game that Friday night. They won the game, and Gary took everyone out to Dairy Queen afterwards to celebrate. Cindy's mammogram didn't even cross her mind again until she received an unexpected telephone call a couple of weeks later.

"Mrs. Greenberg? This is Terry from the clinic," said a woman's voice. "I'm calling to let you know that your mammogram had an abnormal result. It has a BI-RADS classification of four, which means a suspicious abnormality. You'll need to come back in for an ultrasound and if the lesion is still there, we'll have to do a biopsy to see what's going on."

Cindy hung up in shock. She'd never had a mammogram with an abnormal result before. Did this mean she had cancer? If so, what would happen? Would she lose a breast? Would she need chemotherapy and radiation? Would all her hair fall out?

She went through the rest of the day in a stunned daze. Somehow she got all her daily chores done, and when the children came home from school, she put on a happy face for them. After dinner, she was in the kitchen doing dishes when she noticed Gary standing silently in the doorway.

"What is it, Cindy?" he asked quietly.

"My mammogram came back abnormal this time," she said, relieved to finally be telling someone. "It has a BI-RADS classification of four, whatever that is. I have to go back for an ultrasound next week."

Gary frowned. "That doesn't necessarily mean something's wrong," he said. "There's any number of perfectly harmless things it could be. Women get weird growths and cysts all the time. Almost always they don't cause any problem and go away on their own."

"I know," Cindy replied. She knew that he was only trying to lift her spirits.

Later that night, she saw him looking at something on the computer and went to stand behind him to see what it was. It was the Wikipedia page for the BI-RADS classification system, which she'd been too afraid to look up herself. He noticed that she was there and quickly closed the window.

The ultrasound showed that the lesion was still there, and the nurse told Cindy that she'd have to schedule an appointment for a biopsy.

"You'll be given a sedative beforehand, so you'll need someone to drive you home afterwards," she said. "We should have the results back within a couple of weeks."

Cindy met Gary for lunch that day at the submarine sandwich shop across the street from the radio station. "So how did the ultrasound go?" he wanted to know.

"The lesion's still there." Cindy sighed. "I go for the biopsy next Thursday. I have to have somebody to drive me back afterwards 'cause they're gonna give me a sedative."

"I'll have Scott take over the station for the day," Gary offered. Scott was his assistant manager.

"I only need you for a couple of hours in the morning..."

"Well, you've got me for the whole day." He smiled.

"Thanks, Gary."

"I love you, Cyn." He took her hands and gazed into her eyes. "We're in this together."

Cindy had put off telling her mother until after the ultrasound, as she hadn't wanted to worry her unnecessarily, but now that the abnormal finding had been confirmed, she didn't see any point in putting it off any longer. She called Carol that evening and told her the results of the mammogram and ultrasound.

"My goodness, Cindy!" Carol exclaimed. "What do they have to do for the biopsy?"

"It's an outpatient procedure," Cindy told her mother. "I'll be awake for it. They're only gonna use a local anesthetic." She hesitated for a moment. "I'm still scared."

"Well, of course you are!" said Carol. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not really," Cindy replied. "Gary's taking the whole day off work to take me to the clinic and bring me home and stay with me in case I need anything."

"Well, that's sweet of him," said Carol. "Please let me know as soon as you get the results. I'll be praying for you."

"Thanks, Mom," Cindy said. "And of course I will."

Over the next few days, Nora, Marcia, Wendy, Jan, and Tracy all called to express their concerns and offer their support. Even Carly called from Oregon.

"Dad told me you have to have a biopsy soon," she said.

"Yes," Cindy replied. "I have a BI-RADS classification four lesion. They have to make sure it's not...well, at least I _hope _it isn't."

"I talked to Ben about it," Carly said. "He said lots of women get false positives from those tests. He hears them talking about it in the pharmacy all the time. He thinks they shouldn't even do those screenings at all except for women that are at high risk for cancer, they make so many people worry for nothing."

"How are Jacqueline and Abigail?" Jacqueline was six now, and her little sister Abigail was two.

"They're fine! Jacqueline's still enjoying first grade and Brownies, and Abigail's potty training is going...well, it's _going." _They both laughed. Cindy chatted with her stepdaughter for a few minutes longer, then said good-bye.

The night before the biopsy was to take place, Gary brought home a copy of 'The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button' on DVD. "I know how badly you've been wanting to see it again," he told Cindy. They watched the movie together, Gary's arms around Cindy, her head resting on his shoulder.

The following morning, he drove her to the clinic and waited with her until she was called back. The biopsy was quite uncomfortable, much more so than the mammogram had been, but thankfully, it was over with quickly. Afterwards, all that was left to do was to go home and wait for the results to come in.


	67. Say A Prayer For Me

"You have what is called a ductal carcinoma in sutu," Dr. Young told Cindy. "So far it hasn't spread, but if we don't remove it as soon as possible, there's a chance it could become invasive."

"Oh, God." Cindy felt all the blood drain from her face. "You mean you're gonna have to cut my breast off?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that." Dr. Young chuckled. "I can do a lumpectomy, in which only the growth itself is removed. It can be done as an outpatient procedure using a local anesthetic, and it will only take about half an hour." He continued to talk to Cindy for about twenty minutes more, explaining the procedure in detail. "Be at the hospital by eight o'clock in the morning," he told her. "I hope to be able to begin surgery by ten."

Her head spinning, Cindy went home and called Gary. "I'm gonna have to have surgery," she told him. "They can do it on an outpatient basis so I don't have to spend the night in the hospital. They're just gonna take the growth out, not my whole breast."

"Surgery?" Gary sounded alarmed. "You mean it's...cancer?"

"He didn't call it that," Cindy replied. "He called it a...let me see..." She glanced quickly at the forms Dr. Young had given her. "A 'ductal carcinoma in sutu.'"

"'Carcinoma' means cancer, Cindy." Gary sounded as if he might cry. "And he...they think that this one little operation will get rid of it?"

"That's what he said." Cindy was beginning to feel less sure about it herself.

"What about radiation and chemotherapy?"

"He didn't say anything about that."

"My God, Cyn." Gary sighed heavily. "Well, I guess it could be worse."

Cindy was on her way home when she suddenly remembered that her parents' fortieth anniversary had been just a few days previously. In her concern over her biopsy results, she'd completely forgotten about it. She called Carol as soon as she got home.

"Happy fortieth anniversary, Mom! Sorry I forgot about it," she said when her mother answered the telephone.

"Oh, that's OK! I understand!" Carol assured her.

"How was it?"

"It was really nice. Your father took me out to our favorite restaurant." Carol paused for a minute. "So, have you gotten the results back from your biopsy yet?"

"I've got to have a lumpectomy, Mom. It's a half-hour procedure done under a local anesthetic on an outpatient basis."

"I've heard of those," Carol replied. "Well, at least you don't have to have a complete mastectomy."

"Yeah," Cindy agreed. "I think Gary's more worried about it than I am."

"Well, you have to remember, hon, he _has _already lost one wife," Carol said. "It's only natural that he would be...well, kind of overprotective in a situation like this. I felt the same way about your father when he had to have prostate surgery a few years ago."

"Oh, yeah. I remember that."

Gary gave Cindy a fierce hug right away when he got home that evening. "Are you all right?" he asked anxiously.

"I'm fine," Cindy replied. "They haven't started cutting on me yet."

* * *

On the morning of the lumpectomy, Gary drove Cindy to the hospital and sat with her in the waiting room until she was called back.

"Say a prayer for me," Cindy whispered as he embraced her as if he never wanted to let her go.

"I'm gonna say a _bunch _of 'em," he murmured with a shaky smile.

Cindy removed her clothing and donned the hospital gown they gave her. A nurse drew lines on her breast with a felt-tip marker, and later, an IV was inserted into her arm. Soon she began to feel pleasantly drowsy. Vaguely she was aware of pressure on her breast, and the next thing she knew, she was lying in bed with her chest bandaged and Gary was sitting beside her, holding her hand.

"It's all over now, Cyn," he told her tenderly. "The doctor said that everything went fine, and you can go back home soon."

"I'm so sleepy..." Cindy yawned.

Gary chuckled. "Why don't you take a nice long nap," he suggested, lightly brushing the hair back from her forehead. "I'll be right here when you wake up."

Cindy slept for most of that day. The following day she felt much better, but she spent several days just resting at home. The Tuesday following her surgery was a presidential election, and she went with Gary to the polls and voted.


	68. Facebook

The following January, Barack Obama was sworn in as the nation's 44th president. That was also the month that a whole new world opened up for Cindy.

It started with a conversation she overheard amongst her nieces and nephews at the annual Brady Christmas dinner. She heard the word 'Facebook' and asked what it was.

"It's a social networking site," Kevin told her. "It's a way to stay in touch with your friends and family members when you don't see or talk to them every day."

"I thought that was what email was for," said Cindy.

"But Facebook is so much more than that," Patty told her. "You can post photographs, articles that you find on the internet that you like...anything!"

"Sounds fascinating," Cindy remarked.

Several weeks later, she sat at her computer in the still and quiet of the morning, after Gary had left for the radio station and the children had left for school. On impulse, she typed the word 'Facebook' into a search engine and was immediately directed to a web page that urged her to 'get connected.' After filling in her name and basic information, she was advised to add a photograph, and immediately afterwards, she was presented with several dozen 'friend suggestions.'

Most of them were people she'd gone to high school with. Below each photo was the option to 'send friend request', which she did for about half a dozen of them. After that, she spent several hours looking up acquaintances and family members, and before the morning was over, she had half a dozen friends. She was having so much fun that she completely forgot about lunch until her stomach growled pointedly. She considered telling Gary and the children about her morning, but in the end decided to let it be her own little secret.

The following morning, she couldn't wait to log into Facebook again, and when she saw who'd sent her a friend request, it quite took her breath away. Clarence Hendrix had been a year ahead of her in school. At the end of her junior year, he'd taken her to the junior/senior prom. They'd dated all through the summer after that and the beginning of her senior year, and they'd planned to go to the prom again together that year, but then halfway through the year, his military father had been stationed in Germany.

Cindy had been heartbroken. She'd had chances to date other boys, but none of them had been able to hold a candle to Clarence. She'd missed the prom that year, and she hadn't even been able to bring herself to date for many months afterwards.

Now he wanted to be her friend on Facebook. Cindy didn't even have to think twice before clicking on the 'accept' button.

He'd sent a short note to accompany his friend request. 'Hi, Cindy Brady! Remember me?'

She'd listed herself as Cynthia Brady Greenberg, but she was so excited to hear from Clarence that she didn't even notice that he'd omitted her married name. She composed a response to him right away. 'Of course I remember you, Clarence. How could I ever forget? Where do you live now?' After a moment's consideration, she added an additional question. 'Are you married?'

Telling herself that she was being silly for even caring about his responses to her questions, she clicked the 'send' button.

Thoughts of Clarence intruded into Cindy's mind for the rest of that day. She couldn't imagine that a man as good-looking and charming as he'd been had never married. Why had he contacted her via Facebook after all this time? Was it simply a matter of getting back in touch with an old friend, or did he want something more from her?

"Cindy, your mind has been a thousand miles away all afternoon," Gary said at the dinner table. "What have you been so deeply in thought about?"

"Oh, nothing," Cindy replied quickly, perhaps just a bit _too _quickly. "I was just thinking...it's about time we replaced the shower curtain, or at least cleaned it. It's got mildew all over the bottom."

Gary looked startled for a moment, then laughed and shook his head.

That night, Cindy lay in the arms of the man to whom she'd been happily married for almost nineteen years feeling confused and guilty. There was no question that she loved Gary, that she'd always loved him. Yet, why had she reacted to the message from Clarence as she had? Why had he been on her mind all day? She hadn't even seen him in almost thirty years. It couldn't be that she still had unresolved feelings after all these years, could it? At last she fell into a troubled sleep.

The following morning, she hurried through her morning chores, eager to log onto Facebook again. Sure enough, a message from Clarence was waiting for her. 'I've lived in Pasadena for the past five years, Cindy. I was married to a lady named Cathy for almost twenty years, but we're going through a divorce now. I have a seventeen-year-old son named Troy and a fifteen-year-old daughter named Krystal. It's so nice to be back in touch with you. Please write back and tell me everything about yourself, your family, your job, everything. I can't wait to hear from you again. Sincerely, Clarence.'

By the time she'd finished reading Clarence's message, Cindy's head was spinning. _He's right here in Southern California! He's getting divorced! _Quickly she checked herself. _Wh_y _am I even thinking this way? What about Gary? _A sudden stab of guilt made her close her Facebook page immediately. She didn't look at it for the rest of the day.

That evening, Gary brought a new shower curtain home. It was plastic with a seashell print design. "Do you like it?" he asked.

"It's lovely," Cindy replied.


	69. Clarence

Cindy managed to be busy enough to stay off Facebook for the next couple of days, but on the third day, she simply couldn't take it anymore and logged back in to see that Clarence had sent her a virtual rose. She felt her spine tingle as she struggled to decide how to respond. At last she decided that it would be best to simply be honest with him. 'Dear Clarence, Thank you very much for your message, and for the rose. I've been happily married to Gary Greenberg for almost nineteen years. We have three children, sixteen-year-old twins, Rebecca and Jonathan, and a fourteen-year-old daughter, Carmen. It's nice to be back in touch with you. I wish you the best.' Thinking that she'd probably never hear from Clarence again, she hit the 'send' button with relief.

That Friday night, Gary brought home flowers and important news. "I'm going to New York over the weekend, Cindy," he told his wife. "Remember Ken's father-in-law, Peter Wedemeyer? He passed away this morning. The funeral's gonna be Monday. I've gotta go, Cyn. I promised the old guy I'd stay in touch, and what have I written, two letters? The least I can do is go to his funeral."

"I remember. He was a sweet old guy. Poor Veronica." Vivid memories of the time the family had lived in New York returned to Cindy.

"You're gonna have to hold down the fort for a few days. I know you can do it." He gave her a smile of confidence as she went to get a vase for the flowers.

The following day, Cindy and the kids went to the airport to see Gary off. Looking forward to a peaceful yet lonely weekend, Cindy dropped Jonathan off at the computer lab and Rebecca and Carmen off at the mall and then returned home to do her Saturday chores.

She put a load of laundry on, cleaned the bathroom, mopped the kitchen floor, dusted the furniture, vacuumed the carpet, and then sat down at the computer to rest. She logged onto Facebook, where she found that, to her surprise, Clarence had written back to her.

'My lovely Cindy, I'm so happy to hear that you're doing well. I'll bet your daughters both look just like you, don't they? I remember so well the first time I saw you, sweet Cindy. Those beautiful blonde curls of yours, those blue eyes, that cute little lisp you used to have. You were the prettiest girl I'd ever met, and the sweetest as well. It really broke my heart when I had to move to Germany with my family and leave you behind. It was a very long time before I could even think about dating another girl. I'd love nothing more than to see you again, Cindy, just for old times' sake. Please say you'd be willing to meet with me. Anywhere you want. Money is no object.'

What? Money is no object? It sounded to Cindy as if he were asking her out on a date! Yet she'd already told him she was happily married! Quickly she typed a response. 'I'd be willing to meet you just once for old times' sake, Clarence, but please don't think there's any hope of rekindling a romance between us. As I said before, I'm happily married now and would never do that to my husband. I hope you're willing to accept that.' Hoping for the best, she clicked on the 'send' button.

After a light lunch, she picked Jonathan up from the computer lab and Rebecca and Carmen up from the mall, then settled down in the recliner with a novel. She fell asleep reading and was awakened by the ringing telephone.

"I'm sorry, but I can't afford to donate right now," she told the charity organization who'd called her. Then she made a green salad and cooked frozen pizzas for dinner. Rebecca and Carmen chatted about the cute guys they'd seen at the mall while Jonathan ate silently.

Afterwards she cleaned up and then returned to the recliner for several hours of TV. While watching a romantic movie, she thought about her situation. She remembered the last time she'd seen Clarence, how he'd embraced her and kissed her good-bye the day before his family had left for Germany. He'd promised to write, which he'd done three or four times. She still had the letters. She'd kept them through the years, right along with her high school yearbooks and the tassel from the cap she'd graduated in. Who would have ever thought she'd hear from him again after all this time?

Before going to bed that night, she retrieved the letters from where she'd stored them and reread them. As she did so, she was transported back to the days when she'd eagerly await the arrival of each letter, racing to check the mailbox several times a day, dashing excitedly back into the house with her prize in her hand when one did come.

That night, she went to sleep and dreamed of dancing with Clarence at the prom.

There was another message from Clarence waiting for her on Sunday. 'I would never ask you to do anything to jeopardize your marriage, Cindy. When I proposed a meeting simply for old times' sake, I meant just that and nothing more. Please believe me when I say that I'm no home wrecker. I believe in the sanctity of marriage and would never do anything to undermine that belief.'

Cindy felt tremendously better but wondered how they'd go about setting up a date, and how she'd bring the subject up with Gary. How would her husband react to such a proposition?

On Monday there was an email from Gary. 'I'm sorry, Cyn, but it looks like I'm going to be here for a few more days. There's a problem with the settling of the estate and, as it turns out, my input is needed. I'll be right home as soon as everything's straightened out. Love, Gary.'

There was also another message from Clarence later the same day. 'Hey Cindy, I have an appointment in your neck of the woods tomorrow, and I was wondering, would you be able to meet up with me for coffee at the Starbucks in the bookstore across from Target at noon tomorrow?"

Cindy wrote back and told him that that wouldn't be a problem.

The next morning she was completely absorbed with choosing just the right outfit, jewelry, and make-up to meet up with Clarence Hendrix for the first time in almost thirty years. The morning seemed to pass very slowly, and at exactly eleven thirty, Cindy grabbed her purse and drove to the bookstore across from Target.

She recognized him as soon as she saw him. As he smiled and made his way toward her, she felt her heart begin to flutter.


	70. Confessions

He was taller than she remembered, and from the way the muscles rippled below his skin, she could tell he kept his body in excellent shape. Except for a few crow's feet around his eyes, his face looked remarkably youthful, and he had a healthy, glowing tan. He was dressed impeccably. She suddenly felt self-conscious about her five-year-old dress and the few extra pounds around her middle due to her lack of diligence in exercising.

His eyes lit up as soon as he saw her. "Cindy Brady!" he exclaimed, and a moment later, she found herself wrapped in his arms. Soon afterwards, they were gazing into one another's eyes.

"You're still just as beautiful after all these years." Clarence's voice was almost a whisper.

"The years have been kind to you as well," Cindy said politely.

"Well, shall we order our drinks?" asked Clarence.

Cindy ordered a moderately-priced drink. Clarence ordered the most expensive drink on the menu, then told the cashier to change Cindy's order to the most expensive drink as well. "I'll pay," he offered when Cindy opened her mouth to protest.

Despite her misgivings, Cindy silently took the drink Clarence had bought her and followed him to a cozy little booth in the corner.

"So," he began. "Have any pictures of the family?"

"Sure!" Relieved, Cindy took her wallet out of her purse. "This is Gary and me about five years ago," she told Clarence, showing him the most recent photograph she had of herself and her husband together.

Clarence frowned. "How old is he?"

"Not quite fifty-eight," Cindy replied. "Why?"

"Isn't that a bit old for you?"

"The difference in our ages has never really been a problem for us," Cindy said stiffly.

"I didn't mean to imply that it was," Clarence said quickly. "It's just that you're such a youthful, vibrant woman. You could have had any man you wanted."

"Gary _was _the man I wanted," Cindy replied. "These are our children, Jonathan, Rebecca, and Carmen." She showed him each child's most recent school photograph.

"Beautiful, just like their mother," Clarence remarked. "Here's mine." He took his wallet from his pocket and showed Cindy photographs of Troy and Krystal.

"Wow, Troy looks just like you!" Cindy exclaimed. "And Krystal's _so _beautiful!"

"Thank you." Clarence returned the wallet to his pocket. "Hard to believe we have kids that are just about the same age we were when we first got together, isn't it?"

"That was _so _long ago!" Cindy exclaimed.

"And yet, in some ways, it seems like only yesterday." Clarence's voice sounded pensive.

As they drank their coffee, they reminisced about the good times they'd had together as teenagers, and after they finished, they took a long walk together outside. Cindy was enjoying herself so much that she was shocked when she looked at her watch and saw that it was almost time for the kids to come home from school.

"Gosh, I have to be going!" she exclaimed, surprised at the regret she felt at having to say good-bye to Clarence.

"Yeah, I gotta be going too," he replied. "Well, it was lovely to see you again, Cindy Brady. Perhaps we could do it again soon?"

Cindy felt her heart begin to pound madly again, but at the same time, she realized what she had to do. "I don't think so," she sighed. "It was wonderful to see you again, Clarence, but like I said before, I _am _happily married now, and if I saw you again, I'm afraid I couldn't trust myself not to let things go too far."

"I see." Clarence looked so disappointed that Cindy felt sorry for him. "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, Cindy. If you ever change your mind, you know how to get in touch with me."

Feeling as if she'd just narrowly avoided a disaster, Cindy got into her car and drove back home.

* * *

Gary returned home that weekend. Cindy was surprised at how happy and relieved she felt to see him again as she rushed to embrace him. "I'm so glad to see you again!" she exclaimed.

"Is everything all right?" Gary was puzzled.

"Everything's fine! Why?"

"I'm just a bit surprised to receive such a warm welcome, that's all. Not that I'm complaining, of course!"

"I really missed you, Gar."

"Well, I missed you too." Gently he kissed her lips. "Are you _sure _everything's OK?"

* * *

"You'll never believe what happened after the funeral," Gary told his wife that night as they were preparing for bed. "A few of us were at Veronica's apartment talking when she asked me to go into the bedroom with her. Said she wanted to show me something. What it was, was an old pair of cheap cufflinks. The kind they used to make in the forties. 'I can't believe he saved them all these years!' she told me. Said she'd given them to him for his bar mitzvah, that even though he'd been too polite to say anything, she could tell he didn't really like them. Said she'd been going through some of his things and just happened to find them. Then she started crying, really hard. I held her and tried my best to comfort her, and...suddenly it turned into something else entirely. The way she looked at me, the way she touched me...all I knew was that I felt very uncomfortable, that I had to get away from there as quickly as I could."

"She called me the next day and apologized for the way she'd acted, said she didn't know what had gotten into her. I was nice about it, said that I was sure it had been just her grief making her act that way, but to be honest, I've never seen grief have quite that effect on someone before."

Shocked by Gary's story, Cindy suddenly found herself telling her husband everything that had happened between herself and Clarence: the original contact on Facebook, the meeting at the bookstore, the old feelings that had somehow been rekindled. When she finished, he was silent for a long time. She began to feel anxious prickles up and down her spine. Was he angry that she'd gone as far with Clarence as she had?

A few minutes later, she felt her husband's arms around her. "I love you, Cindy," he said.

"I love you, too," she murmured. Suddenly everything was all right again.


	71. Steps

**June 2010**

"It's so nice to see you again!" Cindy exclaimed as she and Carly embraced one another.

"It's great to see you guys again too!" Carly replied. "How has everybody been?"

"We've all been fine," Cindy told her stepdaughter. Carly and her family were in town for Rebecca and Jonathan's high school graduation ceremonies. Eight-year-old Jacqueline and four-year-old Abigail waited patiently with their father as their mother greeted her parents and siblings.

"Are Jake and Amber here yet?" asked Carly.

"Jake emailed me saying their flight's coming in later this evening," Gary told his daughter.

"Oh, great! I can't wait to see him again!" Carly exclaimed. "Go on. Say 'hi' to the twins and Carmen," she urged her daughters.

"Hi," Jacqueline said shyly to the Greenberg children.

"Hi, Jackie!" said Rebecca. "Do you like Kim Possible?"

"Sure!"

"I've got some DVD's I could show you and your sister."

"Great!"

"Come on, Abby," Carmen said to the younger girl. "I got you a Dora the Explorer coloring book, and we can play some games, too!"

"I think it's so cool how good the girls are with them," Carly remarked.

"So do I," Cindy agreed.

"So what do you have planned for the summer?" Ben asked Jonathan, who planned to attend M.I.T., his cousin Patty's Alma mater, in the fall.

"I've got lots of projects I'm in the middle of," Jonathan told his brother-in-law. "I hope to finish at least some of them up soon."

"Well, all right!" Ben clapped Jonathan on the shoulder. He felt a bit awed to have such an intellectually gifted person in the family.

The Greenbergs and the Levins shared lunch together and got caught up on family news, and then Carly and her family stayed and visited until late in the evening, when Jake, Amber, and their three-year-old son, Jackson, arrived.

"Hey there, buddy!" Gary exclaimed, swinging his grandson into the air. The little boy giggled.

"It's nice to see you both again," Cindy said as she hugged Jake and Amber. "Did you have a pleasant flight?"

"It was awful!" Amber exclaimed. "We had turbulence mid flight, and it really shook me up. I feel lucky to have gotten here in one piece!"

"I'm so sorry," said Cindy.

"That's all right," Amber said cheerfully. "I'm just glad it's over with!"

Carly and Jake and their families stayed until it was quite late, then went to their respective motel rooms. Cindy, tired from all the excitement, went to sleep relatively quickly.

* * *

Rebecca and Jonathan were up quite early the following morning. Both their schools' graduation ceremonies took place in the same building, but Jonathan's was a half hour earlier than Rebecca's.

"I'm jealous," Rebecca teased her brother. "You get to graduate before me."

Jonathan shrugged. "Only by a half hour. That's not enough to matter."

Rebecca sighed and rolled her eyes.

Arriving at the stadium thirty minutes ahead of her friends, Rebecca had time to watch most of her brother's graduation ceremony before joining her classmates.

"Wow, we finally made it!" Caitlin squealed enthusiastically, hurrying to embrace her best friend.

"Yeah, we did!" Rebecca replied. "My nieces and nephew came into town yesterday with their parents, so they're here to watch us graduate too!"

"You have nieces and a nephew?" Courtney was surprised.

"Yes, I do," Rebecca said proudly. "Jackie and Abby live in Oregon, and Jackson lives in Miami, Florida."

"Wow!" Courtney exclaimed. "How old are they?"

"Jackie's eight, Abby's four, and Jackson's three."

"Can I meet them?"

"Sure! They'll be with my parents after the ceremony's over. I'll introduce them to you, if you'd like."

"Great!" said Courtney.

Rebecca and the others got into place, and the group marched out onto the field as the band played 'Pomp and Circumstance.' Gazing out at the sea of faces, she couldn't see where her family was sitting, but she knew that they were all watching her, as were Mike, Carol, and all her aunts, uncles, and cousins.

The music came to a stop as the classmates took their seats. The principal spoke for a few minutes, the valedictorian gave her speech, and then it was time for each student to receive his or her diploma. Rebecca waited patiently through the A's, B's, C's, D's, E's, F's, and the beginning of the G's. Finally her name was called, and it was her turn to move forward and accept her diploma. She heard the loud cheering and was thrilled.

At last the final student received his diploma, and the graduates threw their caps into the air in triumph. Then Rebecca went in search of her family.

At last they were located, and they each hugged her and told her how proud they were of her. "I want to find Courtney," she told them. "She wanted to meet Jackie and Abby and Jackson."

Courtney was found within moments, and Rebecca made the introductions. "They're so cute!" Courtney exclaimed. "I wish I had nieces or nephews."

"Maybe you will some day," said Rebecca.

Courtney shook her head. "I'm an only child."

"Well, maybe you'll marry someone who has nieces or nephews."

"Oh, yeah. I hadn't thought of that."

* * *

The Levins and the younger Greenbergs stayed a couple of days longer before returning home. Jacqueline approached Cindy before they left. "Are you really my grandmother?" she asked.

"Of course I am!" Cindy replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, my Mommy told me I was named after my two grandmothers, but I have another grandmother, too, and her name is Sharon. My friend Jordyn at school told me you can't have three grandmothers."

"Sometimes you can," said Cindy. "You see, there was a lady named Jacqueline who gave birth to your Mommy, but she died before your Mommy was completely grown up. A few years after that, your grandfather married me, so I was your Mommy's new Mommy until she finished growing up."

"So you must be my step grandmother, then."

Cindy shook her head. "Sweetie, the only steps in this family are the ones leading up to the front porch."

Jacqueline grinned. "Thanks, Grandma!"

"You handled that very well," Gary told his wife later.

"My Mom said something similar to Bobby when he was little," Cindy told her husband.


	72. Leo

**December 2010**

"I think he looks kind of like JFK, Jr. Don't you?" whispered Caitlin.

"Who's that?" asked Courtney.

Caitlin rolled her eyes. "You don't know who JFK, Jr. was?"

"I think he used to be president, or something," Darcy ventured.

"His _father _was a president who got assassinated back in the nineteen sixties," Caitlin corrected her. "Didn't you pay attention in history class?"

"Nope," said Courtney. Caitlin and Rebecca giggled.

The young man who was the subject of the conversation stood beside the drink dispenser in the college cafeteria. He was tall, with dark brown hair and intense-looking dark brown eyes. Rebecca and her friends sat at a table a few feet away from him. As the four of them watched, he selected his drink, placed it on his tray, and turned around. His eyes met Rebecca's, and he smiled. He took a few steps in the girls' direction, then turned and walked the opposite way.

"He likes you, Becky!" said Caitlin. All four girls giggled hysterically.

Rebecca didn't see the young man again for several days. She'd almost forgotten about him when one day she was on her way to the library and suddenly he was there again, smiling and holding the door open for her.

"Thanks," she said.

"No problem," he replied. "I'm Leo," he continued after a moment's hesitation.

"I'm Becky," she replied.

"Nice to meet you," they said together, then laughed.

"Are you a freshman?" asked Leo.

"Is it that obvious?" Rebecca suddenly felt self-conscious.

"It's just that I don't remember seeing you around last year." Leo sounded a bit apologetic.

"What year are you?" asked Rebecca.

"Sophomore."

"Are you from around here?"

Leo shook his head. "I'm from Pennsylvania. My parents came here once when I was little, and I wanted to see what it would be like to live here."

"Cool!" said Rebecca. They'd entered the library and were lingering in the vestibule chatting. "We lived in Brooklyn for a couple of years when I was younger. That's where we found my sister, Carmen."

"You 'found' her?" Leo looked confused.

"Yeah. She was just hanging around the bus terminal one day. It turned out her Mom was a druggie and a prostitute and her step dad was abusing her, so we ended up adopting her."

"Wow!" said Leo. "Well, I've got to do some stuff right now, but I'd love to talk to you again sometime."

"That would be great!" They exchanged telephone numbers and parted ways.

"Hey, Mom, I met this great guy today!" Rebecca announced when she got home that afternoon. "His name's Leo and he's a sophomore. He's originally from Pennsylvania."

Cindy frowned. "I used to know a woman who lived in Pennsylvania and had a son named Leo. What's his last name?"

"He didn't say." Rebecca made a mental note to ask him the next time she spoke with him. As it turned out, she didn't have to wait very long at all, as he called her that night.

"I'm so glad I finally got the chance to talk to you," he said. "I've seen you around a few times, but I guess I was just too shy to say hello before."

"Well, I'm glad you finally did!" Rebecca replied. She thought about what her mother had asked her and decided that perhaps it would be better not to admit to Leo that she'd already mentioned him to her. "I'll bet living here is quite a change from life up north."

"The winters are sure milder."

"You're sure right about that." They both laughed.

"So, were you born in Pennsylvania?" asked Rebecca.

"Yep. Born there and lived my whole life there until I came to college. So are you originally from around here?"

"Yeah. We just moved to Brooklyn because my Dad's cousin needed help running his furniture store. We moved back here after my niece was born."

"Wow, so you have a niece! That's cool!"

Rebecca laughed. "Two of them actually, and a nephew, too. Jackie's eight, Abby's four, and Jackson's three. Do you have any nieces or nephews?"

"Not yet."

"How many brothers and sisters do you have?"

"One older sister. Her name's Janie. She works for a magazine. You?"

"I have a twin brother, Jonathan. He goes to M.I.T., and I have a younger sister, Carmen. She's still in high school. Also my Dad was married before, and he has a son and daughter from his first marriage."

"The parents of the nieces and nephew, obviously."

"Yep. Jackie and Abby are my sister Carly's daughters, and Jackson's my brother Jake's son."

"Wow, you have a pretty big family! Compared to mine, anyway."

"Not as big as my Mom's family. She has two sisters and three brothers, but my uncles had a different Mom, too."

"Two generations of blended families. I think that's really neat."

"Yeah, me too! So what's your Dad do?"

"He's in advertising. My Mom's a writer. What do your folks do?"

"They work at a radio station. That was how they met, actually. My Dad hired my Mom to be a disc jockey, and they ended up falling in love and getting married."

"Talk about combining business and pleasure." Leo laughed. They talked together for a long time after that, but Rebecca never did find out what his last name was.


	73. Under The Mistletoe

"Do you remember the Steadmans?" Cindy asked her husband as she and Gary were lying in bed together that night.

"Refresh me."

"Their names were Michael and Hope, and they lived in Pennsylvania. They came down here to visit more than ten years ago. We met them at the park. Don't you remember? They had a daughter named Janie who was a few years older than the twins and a son named Leo who was just about their age."

"Oh, yeah, now I remember. What about them?"

"Becky's met a boy named Leo at school, and I think he might be Hope's son."

"Well, why don't you ask Hope if her son goes to UCLA?"

"I lost touch with her a long time ago, and I don't have her email address anymore."

* * *

Rebecca was walking to class with her friends when she saw Leo walking in the opposite direction with a couple of other boys. "Becky!" he called.

"Leo!' she replied, amidst peals of laughter from her friends.

"Where are you headed?" asked Leo.

"Building seventy."

"Mind if I come along? I've got a few minutes to spare." He left his friends and joined Rebecca. "Some friends of mine are having a Christmas party this weekend, and I'd love it if you could come."

"So you're Christian, then?" asked Rebecca.

Leo chuckled. "Sort of. My Mom's Christian, and my Dad's Jewish."

"Mine too!" Rebecca exclaimed, surprised.

"So does your family do the double holidays thing too, then?"

"Yeah. We have Passover and Hanukkah with my Dad's folks and Easter and Christmas with my Mom's."

"Isn't that cool? Double the presents and food!"

"Yeah, I know!" They both laughed.

"Well, here's my class," said Rebecca.

"OK. See you around."

Rebecca knew that Caitlin, Courtney, and Darcy would be eager to hear all about her interaction with Leo, and she was right. "So when did you finally get to talk to him?" asked Caitlin.

"Yesterday at the library. He held the door open for me," Rebecca told her.

"So has he asked you out yet?" asked Courtney.

"He invited me to a Christmas party this weekend," Rebecca replied. Her three friends squealed excitedly.

"Guess what!" Rebecca said to her mother when she got home that afternoon. "Leo has a Jewish Dad and a Christian Mom, too!"

Leo arrived to pick Rebecca up Saturday night dressed in jeans and a light blue polo shirt. His hair was still slightly damp, and he was wearing cologne. "I'm Leo Steadman," he told Cindy when she opened the door.

"Steadman!" she exclaimed. "Are your parents by any chance named Michael and Hope?"

"Why, yes they are!" Leo said, surprised. "How do you know my parents?"

"I met them a long time ago, when you were a little boy," Cindy told him. "I met your Mom on the internet, and later they were in town for the holidays and we all met up at the park. You probably don't remember."

"You're right, I don't," Leo replied. "I'll ask them about it."

Rebecca was excited and happy as she and Leo set out for the party. She loved meeting new people and was eager to meet Leo's friends. The party turned out to be at an apartment complex not far from the college campus. Leo parked the car and they walked up the stairs to the apartment where the party was.

'All I Want For Christmas Is You' by Mariah Carey was playing when they entered. Two boys and a girl who were sitting on the sofa greeted Leo.

"Hey, guys," Leo replied. "This is Becky. Becky, this is Justin, Taylor, and Marissa."

Rebecca and Leo sat on the sofa and began chatting with the others. On the table were soft drinks, potato chips, vegetables with dip, and cookies. As the party wore on, some slightly older kids arrived with wine coolers. One offered Rebecca a taste. She knew that she was legally underage, but curiosity got the best of her, and she decided that one little taste wouldn't hurt. It tasted good, like a fruit-flavored soft drink. She couldn't really taste the alcohol in it, but she knew that it was there, so she only had a little taste. She knew she'd be in big trouble with her mother if she came home tipsy.

After awhile, the group started singing Christmas songs, and Rebecca and Leo joined in. He'd left her side briefly to greet some of his other friends but had always returned to her.

"Look where you're standing!" one of the others suddenly exclaimed. Rebecca looked up to see that she was standing directly beneath a sprig of mistletoe.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" the nearest several people began to chant. Rebecca's heart began to pound as Leo's lips brushed her own for the very first time. She decided that it felt really nice.

* * *

A few days later, Cindy received an email from Hope Steadman. 'I was surprised but happy to learn that my Leo has met your Rebecca. It sure is a small world, isn't it! I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch like I should have. I meant to, but life just gets in the way, I guess. Anyway, it's nice to touch base with you again, and I look forward to catching up. I hope that everyone is doing well.'

Cindy wrote back to Hope, updating her on the family's latest news. She was glad to be back in touch with an old friend.


	74. High School Reunion

**June 2011**

"Well, we made it!" Cindy exclaimed, looking around the interior of the country club. Unaccustomed to such elegance, she was slightly intimidated by the high ceiling, floor-length windows, and opulent furniture she saw. It was the night of her thirty-year graduating class reunion, and she looked forward to seeing some of her high school friends again.

"See anybody you know?" asked Gary.

Cindy noticed several couples milling about. A slender woman with reddish hair looked vaguely familiar to her. She walked over to the woman and introduced herself.

"Cindy Brady! Oh, yes, I remember you!" the woman exclaimed. "I'm Melissa Harris, and this is my husband, Jerry Long."

Cindy recalled that Melissa had been in a couple of her classes, but she couldn't remember which classes or what grade.

"Remember Robin?" Melissa continued, indicating a short woman with dark brown hair and eyes.

"Oh, yes!" Cindy said, embracing Robin. "How do you do?" Robin hadn't been in any of Cindy's classes in middle or high school, but they'd been in the same fifth grade class.

"This is my husband, Jeff," Robin told Cindy. Jeff was tall and slender, with short brown hair and glasses.

"And this is our daughter, Hailey," Robin continued, showing Cindy a photograph of a tall brunette with a friendly smile. "She graduates high school next year. Do you have any children?"

"I have twins, Jonathan and Rebecca, and a younger daughter, Carmen," Cindy replied. "Jonathan's a sophomore at MIT, Rebecca's a sophomore at UCLA, and Carmen's a high school senior."

"Your son was accepted to MIT?" Melissa was clearly impressed.

"Math and science have always been his strong points," Cindy said modestly. She was always afraid of sounding like she was bragging when she talked about Jonathan.

"That's so cool!" Melissa exclaimed. "My son's in the army, stationed in Afghanistan. My daughter-in-law and her two children live near us."

"Oh, you have grandchildren!" Cindy exclaimed.

"Two boys, Brayden and Colton," Melissa said proudly. She showed Cindy a photograph of two smiling toddlers.

"Aren't they cute!" Cindy exclaimed.

"Oh, look! There's Cheryl!" said Robin.

Cindy noticed that an unfamiliar brunette had entered the country club alone. She smiled when she saw Robin.

The two women embraced, and Robin asked Cheryl if she remembered Cindy and Melissa.

"I remember Melissa," Cheryl replied.

Cindy looked at her husband and saw that he appeared to be uncomfortable. "Why don't we step outside for a bit of fresh air?" he whispered to her when there was a lull in the conversation.

Together they stepped outside the country club. The still night air was warm but not oppressively so.

"Whew!" Gary adjusted his shirt collar and tie. "Being around those people makes me feel like I'm about a hundred!"

"You knew they were all gonna be my age," Cindy reminded him.

"Yeah, but I didn't realize they were gonna turn out to be a bunch of cradle robbers," Gary said. "The husbands all look like they're about thirty."

"They do not!" Cindy laughed. "You're just too sensitive."

They took a walk around the building and then re-entered it. Cindy gasped. There in the middle of a cluster of laughing former classmates stood Clarence Hendrix, his arm around a gorgeous, leggy blonde who couldn't have been any older than twenty-five.

"Isn't it disgusting?" a nearby woman whispered to Cindy. "I heard that's the woman he cheated on his wife with!"

"He _did?" _Cindy gasped in shock.

"Oh, yes!" The woman nodded emphatically. "That's why she divorced him! Didn't you know?"

"No, I didn't!" As Cindy watched Clarence and the blonde cuddling, she suddenly felt a bit sick. And to think how Clarence had pursued her, Cindy, so recently...

"Guy sounds like bad news to me," Gary muttered.

Cindy glanced at her husband and felt incredibly guilty for what she'd almost allowed to occur. She desperately hoped her face didn't betray her thoughts.

"Cindy Brady! What a pleasure it is to see you again!" Cindy turned and saw Lars Sorensen, the Swedish exchange student, smiling brilliantly at her.

"Hi, Lars!" she exclaimed. "It's great to see you again, too. This is my husband, Gary."

"Pleased to meet you," Gary said, shaking hands with Lars.

"Wow, you came all the way from Sweden for a high school reunion?" Cindy asked.

Lars nodded. "It was very important to me.'

"I'll say!" Gary exclaimed.

Gary and Cindy left almost as soon as the reunion began to wind down. Although he didn't say anything about it, Cindy knew that her husband hadn't particularly enjoyed the reunion and was relieved to be leaving it.


	75. Summer In Pennsylvania

**May 2012**

"My Mom will never agree to it!" Rebecca exclaimed, shocked.

"You're an adult now, Beck," Leo reminded her. "You don't have to have her permission anymore."

"I know," Rebecca said. "But I still hate the thought of making her mad."

"I'll go with you to talk to her, if you want," Leo offered.

"That's OK," Rebecca replied. "I'll just do it on my own." Even so, she dreaded confronting Cindy with the news that she planned to spend the summer with Leo's family in Pennsylvania.

"Hi, sweetie!" Cindy greeted her daughter when Rebecca entered the house that afternoon. Her tone immediately changed to one of concern when she saw the expression on her daughter's face. "What is it, hon?"

Rebecca sighed, then blurted the news out. "Leo has invited me to spend the summer with his family in Pennsylvania, Mom. His parents have an extra bedroom since his sister Janie moved out, so I wouldn't be in the same bedroom as Leo."

"My, my," Cindy said softly, then, to her daughter's utter surprise, laughed. "You really _have _grown up, haven't you! Well, you're an adult now, Becky, so I can't tell you not to go. All I can do is to urge you to be very, very careful."

"Thanks, Mom!" Rebecca exclaimed, giving her mother a big hug.

Cindy told Gary about Rebecca's plans as they were preparing for bed that night. "She assured me that they wouldn't be staying in the same bedroom, but even so...do you think I did the right thing by agreeing to it, Gar?"

"Well, she _is _almost twenty years old, Cyn. Got to cut the apron strings sometime."

Cindy sighed. "I know. I just worry about her."

"I know you do." He embraced her. "I do too, but I also have confidence that she's capable of making the right decisions. She always has so far, hasn't she?"

"Yeah." Cindy chuckled. "I guess I'm just a worrywart."

"You're not a worrywart, Cyn. You're a caring mother who loves her daughter and wants what's best for her."

* * *

"Wow, we're finally here!" Rebecca exclaimed as she stepped off the airplane with Leo. They walked together to the gate, where a tall, dark-haired couple waited to greet them.

"This is my parents, Michael and Hope Steadman," Leo told Rebecca. "And this is my sister Janie and her husband Ethan."

"Leo has told us so much about you!" Hope exclaimed as she embraced Rebecca.

Rebecca walked with the Steadmans to their car, and Michael drove the family back home. The Steadman's home was charming, two stories tall and made of dark brown wood.

"It looks really nice," Rebecca said politely.

"My folks have been fixing it up for years, since long before I was born," Leo replied. The family entered the house, and Leo showed Rebecca to his sister's former bedroom.

"I hope you like it," he told her.

"It's fine," she replied. The walls were painted white, and there was a dresser against the wall opposite the bed. A chest of drawers stood in one corner, and the walls held posters of cute puppies and kittens, and one of the Backstreet Boys.

Rebecca quickly put her things away and then joined the rest of the family.

* * *

Rebecca soon discovered that life in Pennsylvania was very different from life in southern California. The pace was slower, things were quieter, and she soon came to find it quite charming.

One Saturday morning, Leo took her on a tour of the city, showing her the Liberty Bell and many other important historical landmarks. Afterwards, they met Ethan and Janie for lunch at a submarine sandwich restaurant. Ethan's younger sister, Brittany, came along as well.

"I can't believe how full of history this city is!" Rebecca exclaimed. "All morning long I've looked at things I learned about in school years ago. Seeing them in person just makes them seem so much more real!"

"I always thought it would be way cooler to grow up close to Disneyland, like you did," said Janie. "And all those actors and actresses! How many have you met in person?"

"Actually, not that many," Rebecca told her. "I don't really hang out at the same places they do."

"But _everybody _hangs out at the beach, I'll bet," Brittany put in.

"So how did you guys meet?" Rebecca asked Janie and Ethan.

"Well, we kind of knew each other the whole time we were growing up," Janie replied. "Our fathers used to be in business together until it went bankrupt. After that they stayed friends, and Ethan and I saw each other occasionally. As teenagers we both dated other people. It wasn't until several years after we graduated that we realized we were in love."

"Gosh, how romantic!" Rebecca exclaimed.

"Yeah, it was kind of nice," Janie agreed. "I feel like I looked all over for love, only to find that what I was looking for had actually been right there the whole time."

"Yeah, and it was the same way for me," Ethan added.

It occurred to Rebecca that she'd never even had a serious boyfriend before Leo. She'd been on casual dates with different boys in high school but had never done anything more than kiss. Now that she and Leo finally had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with one another alone, her inexperience was bound to show sooner or later. Would it put Leo off?

* * *

That night Leo took Rebecca to see 'The Vow', then to Fairmont Park.

"It looks really different at night, doesn't it?" he asked as they looked out on the picturesque view bathed in the light of the moon and stars.

"It's beautiful," Rebecca whispered.

_"You're _beautiful." Suddenly his lips were on hers, kissing her passionately, and his hands were on her as well, caressing her body. Rebecca felt dizzy, and her heart pounded madly as she marveled at the new feelings that were being stirred up inside her. Was this what people meant when they said that they were madly in love?


	76. All Grown Up Now

Suddenly Rebecca realized that Leo's hand had slipped beneath her shirt and was cupping her breast, which was, thank goodness, still covered by her bra. A shiver of fear went through her.

"No!" she whispered, shoving his hand away. Leo just stared, surprised and hurt.

"It's too soon," she apologized. "I'm not ready."

Silently Leo turned around and drove back home without saying a word.

"Are you mad at me?" Rebecca asked as they were walking back into the house. Leo didn't answer her.

Miserable, Rebecca went to bed almost right away but found that she couldn't sleep but tossed and turned all night long. Had she been wrong to discourage Leo's advances? Should she have simply allowed him to proceed, no matter how uncomfortable it had made her feel? Would he tell her to go back to California, even though the summer wasn't halfway over yet? If not, how could she spend the rest of the summer in the company of someone who was angry at her?

Sometime toward dawn, she finally fell into an exhausted sleep. She didn't wake up until almost ten o'clock the following morning.

"Are you all right?" Hope asked anxiously when she walked into the kitchen.

"I'm fine," Rebecca lied. "I just had a hard time getting to sleep last night, for some reason. Where's Leo?"

"Out with friends," Hope told her.

"Did he say when he'd be back?"

"No."

Deeply hurt, Rebecca was hardly able to touch her breakfast. _That's the first time he's gone out without me since I got here, _she told herself.

She helped Hope with the dishes and other chores, then spent the rest of the morning in her bedroom watching television. Leo still hadn't returned by lunchtime.

After lunch she took a nap, then decided to go for a walk around the neighborhood. She felt better when she got back to the house and went to her bedroom to read a romance novel. After awhile, she heard a knock on the door. It was Leo.

"Come on in," she told him, wondering whether he'd come to tell her that it was over between the two of them, that she'd have to go back to California.

"I'm sorry, Becky," he told her. "I never should have pressured you last night. It's just that what we were doing got me really turned on, and I was frustrated that I had to stop, but I realize now that that's no excuse. It'll never happen again, I promise." He smiled hopefully. "I hope you're not still mad at me."

"I thought _you _were mad at _me," _she replied.

"I kind of was," he admitted. "I thought you were being a tease."

"I didn't mean to be," she said. "I like doing physical things with you but...I'm scared. I've never been with a guy like that before."

"You mean..."

"Yeah. I'm a virgin." There! It was out at last. She expected him to be shocked or disappointed, but instead he smiled understandingly. "That's what I thought." He chuckled. "Well, that's all right. I don't want to rush you into anything you're not ready for. We'll just take things at your pace."

* * *

Thrilled that things were back to normal between herself and Leo, Rebecca enjoyed the next several weeks. She and Leo saw all the sights, went swimming and roller skating, went on picnics and walks in the park, and went to movies and concerts. They kissed but never went any further than that.

One weekend in July, Michael and Hope went out of town. Leo and Rebecca were cuddling on the sofa watching a romantic movie when suddenly Rebecca felt an unfamiliar warmth, a tingling sensation in certain areas of her body. She looked at Leo and realized that he felt it too. His hand reached for her breast again, and this time she didn't pull away. She found that she wanted his hand there, wanted it more than anything in the world. She felt an unfamiliar hardness against her thigh. She knew what it was, but she felt excited rather than frightened.

Leo hesitated. "Are you sure you want to keep going?"

"Oh, yes!" she breathed.

* * *

In late August, Gary and Cindy waited at the airport for Rebecca's flight to come in. It was the longest period of time that Cindy had ever been away from her daughter, and although they'd kept in touch by email and Facebook, she was eager to see Rebecca in person again.

There they were at last, their arms around one another, talking and laughing. Rebecca saw her parents and rushed to embrace them.

"Did you have a nice summer?" Cindy asked her daughter.

"I had a wonderful summer!" Rebecca exclaimed. As they returned home, she couldn't stop talking about all the adventures she'd had, all the new things she'd experienced. Leo's name came up constantly. Gary and Cindy glanced at one another knowingly, and Gary winked at his wife.

"Our little girl's all grown up now," he told his wife later, when they were alone.

"She sure has," Cindy agreed.

_Wow, after three and a half years, it's finally finished. Many thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this story. :)_


End file.
